Something Real
by Angelica Pierce
Summary: While staying over night in a village, Kagome is confronted with the full truth about Inuyasha’s hardship regarding his social status and heritage. Will she be able to find a way to help him see through the pain?


**Something Real  
**By Angelica Pierce

Okay, notes. Absolutely necessary:  
1) You need to have a working knowledge of the basic scenario and main characters of the IY series. I won't be coddling you by doing a recap of the early-canon every other page.  
2 ) Sisyphus is a man in a myth that is condemned to forever roll a boulder up a hill. Whenever he gets close to the top, however, it rolls back down and he must begin anew.  
3) Events that occurred in the movies have not happened in this fic.  
4) Not only is the age of consent in Japan 13, NOT 18, but Japanese TV is uncensored. That means anyone with a remote control and a reception has probably seen porn. A 5 year old could be flipping to Kodocha, and see Eyes Wide Shut' - the uncut, subtitled version on the way. So think to yourself about how much the average Japanese teen would know about sex.  
5) Claimer: I own Inuyasha and make gobs of money from this story.  
6) Please disregard Note #5 because it is a lie.  
7) Please note that SoutasSister seriously kicks major ass when it comes to editing!! Thank you, Love, you are as fabulous a beta as you are an author. (Yes, the fic has been revised. Mostly grammar mistakes and crap like that, but SoutasSister also helped smooth out my style in a few parts as well. Again, much love for her…)

Enough Notes.

--

"I can't play with you anymore."

The young raven-haired girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unable to bring her eyes to meet his. Even the loose ribbon that held back her hair drooped a bit more with every hurtful word. It was not in her nature to be cruel, even to one such as him - that was assuming that those around her spoke the truth as far as his underlying nature was concerned.

There was no sound but silence from the boy across from her as he struggled to digest the blow that had been imparted. Portions of the girl's soul had prayed that he would be angry and call her callous names. It would make it easier if he were outwardly mean. She was brought no solace, however, from his stagnant vocality.

The boy's tiny clawed hands shook, bringing him to drop the ball he carried. It bounced unceremoniously at his feet, rolling slightly to the side. His mother had given it to him not even a week prior to replace the last one that had been… lost; and his hopes at being able to try it out for the first time with someone else began to crack and crumble faster than he could make repairs. "It's okay, Hanako. We don't have to play with the ball. We could go to the river instead. I'd have to ask my mother, but…"

"No, it's not that." Hanako cut him off. Why did he have to make this harder? "I can't play with you at all. Okaa-san told me that you'd hurt me if I played with you. She said I'm not allowed." Still unable to look her would-be friend in the face, she turned her back on him.

"Wait!" Inuyasha cried out in sheer desperation, running into her path to prevent her exiting just yet. "What if I talked to your mom? I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Hanako did meet his gaze now and seemed to ponder his suggestion. Light rekindled in the young hanyou's eyes; he _would_ convince her mother, or maybe his mom could talk to her... However, the flame of optimism was quickly squelched when Hanako once more grew serious and turned her eyes to the earth. "Even if she said yes, the other kids wouldn't play with me anymore. I'm sorry."

Before any further arguments could be made, the girl side-stepped the boy and headed in the direction of the other children. Inuyasha dimly heard them asking her what she was doing talking to the freak'.

Oh, that's right… He was the freak. The half-breed. Somehow beneath them and dirty in comparison; born with more than his fair share of sin. He had allowed himself to forget for a few precious moments this reality. Once again his hopes had risen, that he might have actually found someone to accept him. His ears wilted at the recollection that no decent being would ever accept one of mixed blood such as himself. Why did he entertain the possibility that it could be otherwise?

Reality blasted him like tidal wave - emotionless; without malice, but complete in its destruction all the same. The waters held no ill-will. They carried with them nothing more than blaring truths and swept away the barriers that concealed his raw pain. It would forever be this way. No person would ever look upon him in love that was not required or otherwise obligated to do so.

It was in that dark second of recognition that a part of his soul died. He shrouded this part away with haste, rebuilding much stronger walls around it that would never be torn down or broken. It was the tattered and dejected ambition of opening himself to those that would hate him. Never again would he wish for the splendor of friendship with his peers. It was a lost cause that he could not afford to keep fighting for it. He had nothing left to give the effort, so he acknowledged defeat and simultaneously refused to mourn the loss of his childlike innocence.

Crossing to the ball, he brushed it off as he caught the familiar scent of his mother who, as it naturally turned out, wasn't far.

The look on her face told him right away that she had seen the whole exchange. His brow winced involuntarily at the sight of the only person in his life that didn't welcome distance from him. He was emotionally weathered beyond his few years and he silently wondered if this woman knew of the internal decision he had just reached not a moment before. Did he look different somehow? He downcast his gaze, not wanting to see the shame in her features. Shame at having a lowly half-breed as a son. Even at this slight age he knew his life tainted her and a part of him hated himself for it. His presence caused her pain. He wished for once that she could be proud of him; that he could make the others in the village see that she was someone worth respecting.

"Inuyasha…" she spoke softly. He came obediently to her and allowed her arms to settle around his shoulders. "Inuyasha." She repeated, a bit more harsh. "Osuwari."

--

"Gyah!" A grown up version of that same boy cried out as he was introduced face first to the roots of the tree he had been napping in.

"You were napping, weren't you, Inuyasha?" a perturbed miko questioned him, hands strategically on her hips to exude the highest annoyance factor possible.

Grunting in frustration, he lifted himself from the Inuyasha-shaped dent in the ground. His amber eyes slanted in anger, telling his charge that he was not amused the tiniest bit by her liberal use of the word'. Finally managing to stand, he brushed himself off and turned up his nose in defiance. "Keh! I was not. Only you weak-ass humans sleep during the day."

Kagome sighed. She could have countered this obvious lie with ease, taking into account his comatose response to the first few _dozen_ times she called. However, unlike the boy before her, logic held sway in her decisions and she was more than aware that when he was in one of his moods, fighting would do no good, no matter how much solid proof one had. He'd be in denial until the cows came home - and then he'd be in denial about the cows. It was best to just shove this incident into the stubborn hanyou' file which seemed to be growing impressively pregnant of late. "Okay, fine. Are you ready? We have to hurry if we want to catch up with Sango-chan and Miroku-sama."

"Well maybe if you didn't have to stop to take a bath every ten minutes, they wouldn't have had to go on ahead of us!"

"Well if YOU were more careful when you wave around that sword of yours, I wouldn't have been covered in youkai guts!" She huffed in defiance.

"Hey, _I_ was in the middle of a battle. I don't have time to make sure your weird-ass kimono doesn't get stained. Maybe YOU should be more careful where you stand, and stay the hell out of my way when I tell you!"

It was only then that Inuyasha took note of the fact that Kagome was no longer sporting her usual one-size-covers-nothing attire. Although he'd never admit noticing such a thing to her, the clothing really had suffered more than its fair share of demon innards in that last fight. She had clearly reached the same conclusion and was giving the garments a break. Kagome now reluctantly wore the standard fashion of a Shinto priestess. Must have been stained pretty bad for her to actually wear the clothes Kaede gave her. She hates those robes.' He silently reasoned.

Seeing the look of contemplation on his face, Kagome turned her face away. She knew how much he despised seeing her in the miko garments. I really wish I had brought more clothes with me this time…' she privately berated herself, beginning to reconsider the equally unwelcome notion of changing into her pajamas - the only other current option.

"Well, let's go." Inuyasha's command snapped Kagome from her melancholic train of thought. She jogged to catch up with him, noting that he had swung her bag over his shoulder, indicating that she was to walk beside him in lieu of traveling on his back as per their usual arrangement. She exhaled a ragged breath knowing without any puzzling the reason that lay behind his desire not to make physical contact. Once again thinking of changing clothes, she eventually dismissed the idea for fear of raising the hanyou's ire even further. Parade in front of him in _this_ and then delay their trip further? Not the best plan she'd ever come up with.

The pair walked in silence along the path toward the mountain range that had been rumored to have developed a strange jyaki over the past weeks. Thinking that it might be the work of Naraku, the group had set out immediately to investigate the first lead they'd had in what seemed like ages. In keeping with tradition, their journey was not without incident and no sooner had the group broke camp this morning, did a youkai decide to attack. Unfortunately, said creature was unusually messy, and had left Kagome with the intense need to bathe. Staying behind to insure her safety, Inuyasha had sent Sango and Miroku ahead. It was either that or leave Kagome in the care of Miroku… And considering the activity she'd be partaking in, he didn't really deem that as protecting' her.

Back in the present, it did not take long for Inuyasha's thoughts to drift back to his recent nightmare - or daymare, as it were. The hanyou hadn't thought back on that particular incident in quite some time. He rarely revisited such memories willingly. Why would his subconscious dredge it up now?

A low, subtle growl emanated from his throat as though scolding his treacherous dreams. Even his own body couldn't let sleeping dogs lay. It was bad enough having to deal with humans and their stupid prejudices during the day. Keeping past slights from his mind was practically a full time job in itself being around the irritating mortals as much as he was these days. Didn't he deserve _some_ peace?

He glared accusingly at the human girl by his side. Damn her.' He cursed to himself. Kagome was the only human currently in his company, and as such was the representative of her entire species at the moment. She looked pensive, only serving to make the half demon curious, which naturally caused him to become irritated that she would dare make him curious. Who was she to presume to be changing his emotions? And why the Hell was she always so mysterious? He often wondered what conniving plots she was hatching in that little brain of hers. After all, it must take her hours of preparation to be so damned successful at getting under his skin. What with the rosary, and the crying, not to mention the way she could change his entire mood without saying so much as a syllable… It was truly a stroke of wicked genius. Especially when her eyes were taken into account. They were so innocent! _Too_ innocent. Big, brown, gorgeous orbs that revealed the depths of her soul. Set perfectly next to that flawless porcelain skin that covered…

Damn it! When did I become so fuckin weak? I can't even insult her properly anymore!'

His glare deepened. _How did she do that??_'

Another growl erupted from the Inuyasha, causing Kagome to pay more attention to his mood than where she was placing her feet. Just her luck, a slight protrusion on the path caught her foot and sent her stumbling. She managed to regain her balance by instinctively reaching for her protector and grabbing hold of his haori. The action caused her traveling companion to whirl on her.

"What the hell you touchin me for, Bitch!?"

Kagome jumped slightly, surprised at just how harsh he had been over a simple falter. Quickly getting past her shock, she narrowed her eyes. "Well EXCUSE me! Next time I'll just fall and make you wait for me. Is THAT what you'd prefer?"

"Feh. Stupid humans. Can't even walk without help."

The miko sighed. "Inuyasha, if the robes upset you that much…"

"Who the fuck said anything about your clothes? I don't care what you wear!"

Kagome returned to her anger; an emotion that seemed to get a lot of mileage when she was around Inuyasha. "Oh really? Then why are you so angry with me?"

"Because you're irritating!! Always pressing my buttons and lookin for ways to manipulate me. Well, I got news for you, Kagome. Your eyes aren't enough to defeat me!"

"My EYES? You mean this is about my ability to see the shards?"

"Shards!? Where?"

"There are no shards, Inuyasha…"

"Then quit tryin to change the subject!"

"What IS the subject!?"

"Miko-sama!"

Their arguing was abruptly quashed as a few men approached them from ahead. It took Kagome a moment to realize that they were speaking to her. She just wasn't used to being recognized as a priestess, much less called Miko-sama'. That title was usually reserved for…

Oh great. There will be no living with him for the next week after _this_!'

"Um, hello. Is there something I can do for you?" Kagome offered once the men came to a halt before them. Inuyasha growled a warning at the mere proximity of the males to his charge, even though his stance gave the appearance of impartiality.

"What do you want?" he demanded without charm, evoking a reflexive twitch from Kagome's brow.

The three men regarded Inuyasha with a certain wariness as he tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori, but eventually proceeded to speak with Kagome.

"My name is Yasuo, and these are my companions Jiro and Hiroshi. We live in a village not too far up the road. My wife has recently given birth to our first born, and if it is not too much trouble, I would humbly ask that you pay a visit to my home to bestow a blessing upon him."

Kagome blushed. She had never been asked to perform a task such as this. Could she even give a proper blessing to a newborn? She had seen Kaede impart blessings upon babies born in the village, and it didn't seem too difficult. If nothing else, she could always ask Miroku to stop by upon returning from their journey to make certain she had done it correctly…

"Keh. Kagome ain't that kind of…"

"I'd be honored to bless your son." Kagome bowed ever so slightly, effectively silencing the hanyou beside her. For the moment, anyway.

"My thanks, Miko-sama. I must finish this errand, but if I could meet you in the village shortly…"

"Of course." Kagome replied before the men took their leave.

Although nervous, Kagome found herself excited by the prospect of performing an actual priestess duty. Purifying demons was all well and good, but mikos shouldn't be so constantly consumed by violence. It would be nice to help someone without needing to dodge attacks for a change.

"We don't got time for this, Kagome! We have to catch up with the others. Besides, you've never done a blessing! You'll end up turning the kid into a goat or something."

"Thanks ever so for your confidence, Inuyasha." Kagome seethed. "I can get through a simple blessing! Not only have I seen Mama do it a thousand times, I've seen Kaede back in the village. Not much has changed in 500 years so I should be able to do a proper one for this era. And Sango and Miroku will be fine without us a bit longer. They'll probably even be pleased that we stopped to help someone in a clean, non-fatal way."

Inuyasha was inclined to continue the argument, but begrudgingly realized that he had upset her with the goat comment. If he protested much further, he was in for a sitting, and that was something he would very much like to avoid.

For once listening to his brain before his mouth got the better of him, he settled for an exasperated Feh', and began walking with her in the direction of the village.

--

A deep sigh escaped him as he shut his eyes and leaned back against the wall of the relatively small hut. He shifted uncomfortably, pulling Tessaiga from his side and resting it in his lap. The movement of his weapon did not go unnoticed by the women in the back of the hut who were there to witness the blessing. More whispers drifted to his ever vigilant ears, and not for the first time he wished that he didn't have such adept hearing.

"Is he preparing to attack? Do you think he'd hurt the baby?" the younger of the two questioned her companion.

"Not with the miko here." She replied. "We best watch what we say though. I don't know if he can hear us."

Inuyasha did not wish to give away his advantage, so he remained immobile, never casting so much as a glance in their direction.

"Do you really think he has such good hearing? He's only a half-breed." The first girl argued.

"Well he must have some power. After all, why else would the miko travel with such a creature as her protector'?"

That's right. He was merely the miko's guardian. Upon entering the village, Inuyasha had been immediately analyzed by the locals. Kagome happily explained Yasuo's request, and the elders had seen fit to invite her into their community with open arms. However, Inuyasha was not so easily welcomed. One of the elders had questioned why a hanyou was traveling with her. For lack of a better explanation, Kagome had told them that he was her protector. They resisted still, at which point Inuyasha had declared that he wasn't looking for their approval. The miko scolded him for being so abrupt.

Didn't she understand that he was just defending himself? Sure, it was all well and easy for her. SHE wasn't the one being accused of malice just because of the way she looked. What of THEIR behavior? Why couldn't she ever take _his_ side? He would have taken his leave of the situation, but in a new place with unfamiliar people, he didn't trust Kagome not to get herself into trouble.

Begrudgingly, the villagers had accepted the miko's reasons and had put up no fight when he accompanied her to Yasuo's home. However, to say that he was _welcomed_ would be reaching.

"You mean you actually believe that he's her guardian? If she wanted protection, why not get a _real_ demon?"

"She probably chose him on purpose. If he gets out of line, she can purify him without killing him - his human side would just take over for a short while."

"Ah. Kind of like a leash."

"All he needs is the collar to match those ears of his."

At that, Inuyasha did open his eyes and turn his face directly towards the two gossiping females. They gasped and immediately avoided eye contact, making their way behind a few of the elders should the hanyou decide to make good on his unspoken threat.

His nasty glower had been more than enough to subdue them. Keh. Who's on a fuckin leash now?'

He noticed that an elder had caught on to the little exchange between the hanyou and the girls. Concern crossed his features and he moved to stand beside them, shooting what was probably meant to be an intimidating glance at Inuyasha. Deeming the elder unworthy of battle, Inuyasha resettled himself and closed his eyes to wait for the stupid blessing to be over and done with. The sooner they got out of the presence of so many humans, the more comfortable he would be.

"Inuyasha, it's finished." Kagome spoke softly, a smile playing across her lips.

The hanyou cracked open one golden eye to make sure he wasn't hearing things. Indeed, Kagome stood before him, beaming however modestly at her accomplishment. The blessing had obviously gone well, and the hanyou took in the happy expressions of Yasuo and his family. Despite himself, Inuyasha felt his lips curl into a smirk; he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the girl.

"Miko-sama, I'll show you to your rooms." The elder that had challenged him not long ago had approached Kagome, and she nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you, Keiji-san." She responded with a small bow.

"Wait, rooms?" Inuyasha blurted out, now on his feet towering over the priestess. His outburst caused the whole room to enter into silence, save for the gurgling noises coming from the newly-blessed infant. He hadn't even been that loud…

"Yes. It's almost dark, Inuyasha, and Keiji-san has offered to let us stay in his inn." Kagome informed him, no longer sporting her good mood. Inuyasha wanted to argue, but not here in front of so many unfamiliar people. Relenting, he nodded his consent to be led to their accommodations, wherein he would be free to yell at Kagome in private.

On the way to their rooms, Inuyasha realized that this village was larger than he originally guessed. Thick forest surrounded them, save for a relatively narrow passage through the trees that lead to an entirely different section of the same community. It was there that he caught site of the inn that the elder no doubt owned. It wasn't as nice as some of the lodging that Miroku managed to snag for them over their months of travel, but overall it wasn't bad.

Long hallways led to the back of the establishment, wherein Kagome was shown her room. Much to the horror of Keiji, Inuyasha stepped in beside her, making certain to inspect everything around the room. It was sparse, but comfortable; a futon against the far wall, a fire pit, and a privacy screen in the corner as well as a small table.

"This way, Hanyou." Keiji called from the door.

Inuyasha turned to glare at the obtrusive individual. "Keh! There's no way I'm leaving her alone with you people around." His fingers instinctively drummed against Tessaiga to make his point before crossing his arms in his signature fashion.

"What he means to say is that we are used to sharing. We travel quite a bit and make due with rooms not nearly this nice. It isn't necessary for you to trouble yourself with two." A blushing Kagome translated'. Would it kill him to learn some manners?'

"It is no trouble, Miko-sama. Besides, it would not be proper for him to share a room with you." Keiji articulated. The man clearly had an inherent fondness for the priestess, but did not understand her choice in traveling partners. He hoped that the inference of impropriety would be enough to force her to relent.

"I thank you, Keiji-san, but I'm afraid I must insist. Inuyasha is here to protect me, and he can't do that if he's not nearby. Really, I assure you, this is normal for us." Kagome tried. She really didn't care to give the impression that she was desperate to sleep in the same room with Inuyasha, but she did feel safer when he was nearby - especially in foreign towns.

"Very well." Keiji sighed, showing no small amount of discomfort about the arrangement. "You will at least allow us to provide you with a second futon?" he questioned.

"That would be appreciated. Thank you." Kagome smiled.

"But I don't sleep on…"

Inuyasha didn't get the chance to finish before Keiji unceremoniously shut the door on the two. The hanyou growled, dropping Kagome's bag off his shoulder and resting Tessaiga beside it so that he could speak with Kagome without worrying about being hindered by the inanimate objects..

"Honestly, Inuyasha. You could try to be polite." Kagome admonished the inu-hanyou.

Inuyasha gaped before snorting. "Me!? They're the ones who keep acting like assholes!"

Kagome let out her breath in defeat. His temper was exhausting. "Forget it. I don't want to argue. Just don't say anything when they bring the second futon, okay? They already probably think there is something going on between us because I insisted that you stay in my room."

Inuyasha winced at her words and turned away to cross to the other side of the room. Of course she would be embarrassed if people thought they were involved. They looked down on her for just being in his company! What would they do if they had reason to think they shared a bed?

Unwelcome images of Kagome tucked against him filled his mind. A dream that would never be realized… Kissing those sweet lips of hers, trailing his mouth down her neck as she'd make little sounds of joy. She'd hold him close, lay her head on his shoulder, and trust him completely as his hands learned her body. He didn't often think of touching her - it was hard to imagine when he didn't know what to think of. He had seen glimpses of her nude form, but his eyes had never really been given the opportunity to focus. By the time he'd think to look away from her face and commit her body to memory, he'd either be sat, caught, or too embarrassed to keep staring. No. It was much easier to imagine Kagome's hands on him - carefully placing those tempting lips on his neck while her hands moved across his hardened flesh below. Sometimes she'd wind her hands in his hair and pull his face to hers, locking him in a searing kiss, delicate fingers eventually sliding down his neck and shoulders and across the heated skin of his back. Her body, pressed against his, whispering words to him that he'd never hear as he…

His reverie was shattered as two servants entered the room with his futon'. At first he was enraged by the interruption, but that dissipated as soon as he remembered that he shouldn't be thinking those things in the first place. Not only was he a dirty half-breed' that dishonored Kagome by just thinking of such actions, but the girl in question was standing not three feet away!

He inwardly cursed his body for responding to his wayward ideas. All thoughts of objecting to their stay were forgotten and he resigned himself to the realization that he would have to wait to get out of this torture-chamber of a town for a while longer. Why didn't his friends ever seem to understand _why_ he avoided the villages? He pushed the ire at their incompetence aside. Now his mind focused on his more immediate need. He couldn't very well take care of this problem' where he was.

He crossed the rest of the room to the door that led outside. He slid it open to feel the cool breeze rush over his face. It was dark now, but luckily he didn't need much light to see. The porch which extended all the way down the length of the building held a few torches on its walls so that the occupants would not be walking around blind in the darker hours. This illumination was more than enough for Inuyasha to see the open area which led to the forest. He stepped out, and readied himself to leap.

"Inuyasha? Where are you going?" Kagome's soft voice stopped his exit. He growled.

"I need some air." He bit out. He really didn't want her questioning him on this. He was humiliated enough as it was. Besides, it was her fault that he was in this state to begin with!

Without further discussion, he bounded from the tavern and into the safety of the immediate trees. He couldn't afford to go far from the room considering that Kagome was now left alone to the mercy of whatever might decide to attack. This would have to be quick, and not as well hidden as he would have liked. But desperate times…

Well, at least the quick part shouldn't be much of a problem.' He thought dourly. The images from before had managed to get him awfully worked up. It wouldn't take much additional stimulation for him to bring an end to this bodily crisis.

Suddenly, Kagome was there with him. Her finger tips traced the swelling under his hakama before working it free and exposing it to the night air. A thumb ran over the tip as soft, feverish kisses passed between their mouths. He gasped as she pressed herself against him, moving her head slightly to the side to nip at his neck. They were naked and vulnerable, their bodies caressing one another. She worked her hand around his hardened shaft, pulling and tugging at the perfect pace to bring him over to a place of completion. She whispered his name loud enough that it could almost be called a whisper, and he responded in kind to her plea.

"Kagome…" he moaned into her ear.

And then it went black.

A few seconds later, Inuyasha steadied himself just before another blow came to the back of his head. This time, however, it didn't stun him. It merely hurt. He turned angered eyes to see Keiji and a small number of village men standing behind him. His groin ached with unfulfilled release, but that would clearly have to wait.

"Beast!" Keiji seethed. "You would think to defile her in such a way!" The man raised the object he had struck him with before to do so again. Inuyasha grabbed his hand to keep him from doing so, only to be pounded upon by a few of the other surrounding him. He reached for Tessaiga only to realize that it was back in the room with Kagome. He would have to rely on his claws - not something he was necessarily opposed to. It was just that Inuyasha hadn't actually intended to fight with these humans. Tessaiga would have intimidated even the most courageous of mortals, thus preventing a brawl. He knew he couldn't kill the villagers, which made the fight that much harder to do with his claws. One wrong swipe and they'd be easily cut down.

His body bore the blows under protest, but luckily humans didn't really have the strength to cause much more than shallow bruises. He crouched to the ground and darted through an opening to get clear of the circle his attackers had formed around him. He was free, and he would have stayed that way, but one of them slapped an ofuda to his back, rendering him basically immobile.

One of the men sneered in accomplishment, tapping the ward with his weapon. The villagers had no doubt acquired youkai wards due to their lack of a spiritual leader. It was something most villages without a local monk or priestess did. Inuyasha cursed himself for forgetting this.

The blows continued, but not for long. Soon his arms were raised and he was dragged back to the tavern. Inuyasha wanted to cry out to Kagome to come tear this thing off of him (and bring Tessaiga while she was at it), but he couldn't even bring his voice to obey him. Damn powerful ofuda.' Inuyasha bitterly mused. Luckily, they seemed to be taking him in the direction of her room anyway. He snickered inwardly. Wait until Kagome found out what they did… They only knew the pleasant side of the girl - they had never seen her angry! And when she saw what they had done to him…

His relief was short lived, overwhelmed by panic and horror at the situation. They were going to tell Kagome what _he_ was doing! More importantly, they would tell her whose name he had said.

"_You would think to defile her…"_

A thousand or more ugly thoughts ran through his mind at once, summoning a tenseness that penetrated even the powerful ofuda. He was still held utterly immobile but this did not speak for his mind which was racing more powerfully than it had since the moments before he was sealed to Goshinboku. His pulse throbbed in every inch of his body creating a pounding in his ears so loud that he could no longer hear the conversations of the villagers dragging his inert form back to the priestess.

Scenarios came to his mind's eye faster than he could register them in their entirety. In each and every one, his worst fears came to pass. The look of sheer disgust she would wear when she found out. He could feel the heat of her hatred for him baring upon his soul already. He had survived countless battles; been locked in a dark abyss for over fifty years… But this? He would never recover from _this_.

The vision of her smiling face shattered before him. Never again would he feel her gentle caress as she tended his wounds. She wouldn't grasp his waist with her thighs as she rode his back, the sound of her cheerful laughter and innocent admiration of the beauty which she saw in everything that surrounded them. He would be labeled worse than the bouzu for nothing more than a dream. A ghastly mutt that should have been drowned at birth had no right to have such disgraceful fantasies about a miko.

His desire to flee was awe-inspiring, but his useless limbs would not respond to their owner's commands. Full blown terror coursed brutally through every fiber of his being. If only he could struggle… He had to get away! Get away and never return. It would break him to leave her but anything would be better than to see the heartbroken look in her eyes - the devastation of having been mentally molested by the likes of him.

Anything would be better than this.

Altogether too soon, he was dropped on the floor of the room. He could hear Kagome's startled gasp, and her footsteps as she came to kneel beside him. The scent of smoke assaulted his nose which in turn prompted his eyes to water. The girl had clearly started a fire in his absence to ward off the chill of the night air. Silly girl, always so fragile…

"What have you done to him!?" Kagome demanded, the venom behind the question overpowering. He felt a hand on his head, and screwed his eyes shut. This would surely be the last time he ever felt that soothing touch. What would she do when she found out? Would she even bother to remove the ward? Or would she just abandon him where he was? Perhaps she would subdue him with words, as only she could, until his body simply gave out. He wanted to tell her… something. He wanted to have something to say or do that would make all of this go away. But it never would, and he knew it. So he waited - and that alone was nearly his undoing.

"We caught him in the forest, Miko-sama. He was degrading you with his disgusting actions."

There was quiet for a moment, and the hand that had been stroking his hair stilled. "Degrading me? What actions? What are you talking about? What could he possibly have done to deserve…"

Stupid Bitch!' Inuyasha cursed Kagome's naivety. Did they _really_ have to spell it out for her??

"Forgive us, Miko-sama. We realize that you are pure and probably do not know of such sinful acts. He said your name as he pleasured himself. He was imagining…"

"Get out." Kagome commanded softly, cutting off any further explanation. Inuyasha fell into confusion, whether or not to consider this a good turn of events. On one hand, she had put an end to this humiliation by not allowing the man to continue his explanation. Not only that but she seemed oddly calm - her voice lacking any emotion except for a small waver in tone. He would have liked to take this as a sign that she wasn't as angry as he assumed she would be, but the shaking of her palm told him otherwise. She was angry. VERY. At them or him, or perhaps both, he wasn't sure.

On the other hand, he worried that once the men left he would be in for the sitting of his life, not to mention the fact that he'd have to face the full brunt of her wrath. He could just imagine the revulsion she would hold in her eyes when she looked at him from now on. Things would never be the same between them. He could never take it back, not that he was even sure he would if given the chance. His dreams were all he had. Fury filled the hanyou as he lay static on the cold floor, still bound by the ofuda on the back of his haori. If those fucking men hadn't followed him, none of this would have happened. Kagome wouldn't hate him, and he wouldn't be in the most embarrassing situation of his life.

He knew why they followed him. After that incident with those two bitches back at Yasuo's hut, they had undoubtedly assumed that he was a danger and should be watched. Those girls' prejudice… The hatred that humans held for half breeds… This was to blame for the circumstance. Never before did he find himself wanting to kill humans quite as badly as he did now. But at the same time, he hated himself. A small portion of his soul still longed for acceptance; and it would be that portion that was the death of him in the end. He didn't want this - to be dirty. He never asked to be what he was. Who would? He cursed his mixed heritage silently for the infinite time in his head. Why did he have to born a freak? An abomination? Born with more than his fair share of sin, he would never be clean.

"Miko-sama…" one of his captors protested. Inuyasha recognized the voice as that of Keiji. "It's not safe for him to be left with you. He should be…"

"Just leave it." Kagome spoke once more, this time her voice brokered no dispute. There was no sound of argument, only the loud shuffling of feet and the closing of the door as the villagers exited.

_It'_, Inuyasha's eyes went wide before squeezing them tightly closed. She doesn't even think of me as _alive_ anymore!'

In actuality, Kagome was reeling from what just occurred. Her command had been to drop the situation; they had truly done enough damage as it was. The villagers had assaulted her best friend because of his fantasies? Her pulse beat with ire, that they would hurt him for no other reason. He hadn't done anything to anyone and yet they left him so injured that he was unable to move.

Had he been in any other state, she would have been elated - flattered perhaps that Inuyasha thought of her as more than a friend, even if it was just a dream version of herself. However, the rational part of her would have quashed the euphoria upon the realization that he had probably been thinking of her past incarnation and that the villagers had jumped to assumptions. But the way he just lay lifeless on the floor terrified the young miko, so none of these thoughts had time to manifest. The fact that he hadn't made so much as a growl…

"Inuyasha, why aren't you moving?" she asked, her voice shaking violently. She could barely get out the words.

She took inventory of his appearance, moving from his head and limbs to the center of his back. She had been so preoccupied making certain that there was no blood that she had completely missed the ofuda that held him immobile. Making a small sound of understanding, she quickly reached forward and ripped the ward off of the hanyou.

The second he regained control of his body, Inuyasha launched himself into the darkest corner of the room, curling against the walls and hiding his face from view. He could still feel her eyes looking at him; detesting him and what he'd done. He couldn't bring himself to meet those eyes, nor gaze upon any part of her. Why did the earth never open up and swallow you when you needed it to?

Kagome sat stationary, not having the slightest clue what to do. He was embarrassed, hurt, and angry, which usually meant violence. She should just let him be, but she needed to know that he wasn't seriously injured, and she couldn't help but feel like they should talk about… Well, what he was caught doing. More specifically, if it was her that he imagined or perhaps a certain other miko.

"Inuyasha… Did… Did they? Did they hurt you?" she questioned as carefully as possible. If he would tell her that he was uninjured, then she swore to the Kamis that she'd let the rest be. She'd leave him alone until he was ready if he would just be okay. If he wasn't? Her mood shifted to that of revenge. If they'd hurt Inuyasha simply because he was dreaming, they would pay. Painfully. Preferably with sharp objects and over long weeks.

Inuyasha was astonished at the question. He'd been all but emotionally broken, and she had the nerve to sit there and ask him if he was okay!? His entire life had been one big rejection after another. Taunts and barbs at his expense, for no reason besides his existence. He wanted to return in kind, but his stupid human conscience wouldn't let him. Why was it that the very thing that condemned him in their eyes also saved their necks? The children that wouldn't play with him, the adults that would torment his mother and whisper behind their backs. The people that spat in his face and the demons and humans alike that tried to expunge him from the Earth. That was why Kagome never took his side when people treated him badly. Deep down she knew they were right. She was just too kind-hearted to do it herself.

And now the wench wanted to know. How was he? Oh, he'd tell her.

The boy sneered. "Did they hurt me?" he growled out. "Nope, just fine, Kagome. Not a scratch, thanks for asking."

Kagome winced at his tone, but stood and started to cross to her futon, satisfied that he didn't need medical help.

"Oh wait, did you mean _hurt_ as in humiliate me the same way everyone does every fucking day of my life?"

Kagome turned back around, eyes wide as he continued. She hadn't expected him to say more. He never so much as admitted that he had any pain, much less talk with her about the cause.

"Did you mean Did they piss you off with the way that you couldn't even step foot in their precious village without soiling it with your filthy half-breed hands'? Did those bitches mocking you during the blessing bother you, Inuyasha? Was it terrible to hear that you should be on a leash rather than treated like a person? Do the cuts still sting from when your own brother tells you that you have no right to share his father's blood? Or maybe you meant the way every single time I walk into a crowd of humans that they shrink away in disgust or fear! No friends even as a child because their parents are afraid you'll hurt them. No one wants to play with a foul mutt, or spend time with a monster."

He was standing now, no longer really addressing Kagome. He was pacing the room, directing his commentary toward the walls. He looked angry enough to murder - not to kill, but to seriously wrap his hands around someone's neck just for the pure bliss of feeling it crack beneath his fingers. Kagome covered her mouth with her hands to keep from making a sound. She didn't believe that he'd harm _her_, but the smallest sound might bring him down to Earth, and he clearly needed to vent. Had he ever let any of this out? Talked about these things with anyone? How did he live feeling like this every day?

Tears formed in her eyes and made their way down her cheeks in streams. She wouldn't make a sound though. She wouldn't cry out. No whimpers or ragged breaths. She'd be silent if it killed her to do so.

"…Never have friends. Never have family. Hanyous don't get to have parents or mates or children of their own. Who would choose to spend their life with someone that doesn't belong anywhere? Someone made up of two halves that equal nothing. They're not supposed to exist. They're impure and tainted, and they do nothing but drain the life from those around them. They don't deserve to be happy. They don't deserve any of it. They should be drowned as soon as they slither from their mother. It would save everyone time and suffering not to have to look on such ugly abominations. Such unnatural freaks that don't deserve to breath the same air as the rest of you."

She had to snap him out of this, but she didn't know how. She would have normally run and put her arms around him and held him close until everything dark and ugly was gone from his thoughts. But she didn't think he even realized she was there anymore. He would surely attack her if she reached for him now simply because he wouldn't recognize her in time. Although, she dare not argue with him either. That would only make things worse. Years of pent up rage were now coming to a boiling head, and she didn't have the knowledge or the power to convince him that the things he was spewing weren't true. And most of all, she didn't want to cry. Then he'd feel even worse for making her upset. It would only confirm all of his beliefs. She knew him. He'd feel guilty and then there might be no helping him.

"…What exactly makes me so different, damn it!? So different that they can't even let me have my dreams. Not even my dreams, which is all I'll ever have. I'm not allowed. My thoughts are unclean. They're not supposed to exist and the fact that they do is…"

"You're right."

Inuyasha stiffened and his eyes flew wide. Kagome had been there the whole time? He sniffed the air and could tell she was crying. He turned to face her, only to find her face hidden beneath her bangs. Her silky purple pajamas vibrated with their owner's shaking, causing what little light the room had to the bounce off of her in ripples.

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't for her to say that. He stood astonished and motionless; to think that she'd so bluntly agree. That even innocent Kagome wouldn't raise her voice to comfort him. It was because he defiled her. He was no longer worthy of her help to make him into anything worthwhile, and as such no longer worth defending. After a long minute, she finally lifted her face to reveal her eyes. They were blurry with unshed tears, but no stains adorned her face. She must have wiped them clean before speaking because he could smell the salty liquid in the air.

"You're right, Inuyasha. That is what this world thinks of you. These people? They hate and fear you because of what you are. They don't care whether or not you're evil. You're a half-breed. Why would they give you a second thought?"

She was insulting him, and yet she sounded so calm. Ever-forgiving Kagome was condemning him and it was no less than he deserved for what he did. But still he wondered how long she had been holding such opinions inside. Her voice was eerie and the words it produced wrenched the heart in his chest. He had always held onto foolish hope that maybe Kagome saw him differently - she was the only one who didn't try to hurt him at first sight. Everyone he now considered a friend' started out hating him. Except her. And now he knew for a fact that she did hate him, the same as the others.

His hopeful delusions about her acceptance crumbled and he could feel his insides collapse upon themselves and die. As much as he'd like to, he knew he couldn't blame her for the loathing that she harbored. She had begun to walk towards him, and though his instinct was to flee, his feet wouldn't move. He was a captive audience as she closed the short distance between them. She now stood directly in front of him, her face upturned to look him in the eyes as she spoke.

"I guess that's why I'm not from this world." She softly mused, seemingly almost to herself although her eyes continued to penetrate his without waver.

Inuyasha reset his jaw to stop trembling and took a gulp of air, having it suddenly occur to him that he hadn't breathed in. Wait. Did she just…?'

Kagome broke eye contact to look down between them before returning to his face. Gently, she reached forward and placed her hand just behind one of his ears. He jumped at the contact but made no move to stop it. "You hate it when people touch your ears." She reflected, even as she stroked the downy fur. "You hate it because they are the most noticeable difference between you and others. But I can't count how many times you've heard me scream for you and you've come running to my rescue. These ears you hate made you hear me; they've saved me."

The hand left his ear to trail across the side of his face. Her open palm flexed before contouring to the curve of his cheek. A small smile presented itself on her face. "Your eyes are a different color. But in my time? People pay good money to have their eyes look like yours." She seemed to get lost in a small reverie for a moment before snapping herself back, the serious expression replacing the grin. "They see better than humans do. But not as well as a full youkai, I suppose. But you use them to keep people safe, and to scout out danger. Beautiful golden eyes see so much prejudice, and yet they welled with secret tears when you thought your friends had left you. I can't imagine a youkai like your brother showing such brave compassion. And a human couldn't have held themselves together long enough to save us. Your demon blood gave you the strength while your human side gave you the motivation. We're alive because of both your sides."

She reached for his trembling hand with her own, curling fragile digits around his calloused and clawed hands. She lifted the palm up so that he could easily see it. "Claws that could slice through me in a second if you wanted to hurt me. You could kill me right now, Inuyasha. I wouldn't be able to stop you… And yet you don't think like that. Instead you use them to catch and prepare food for the people you care for."

She hummed and gave a slight giggle. "I remember the first time you brought back a rabbit for us to eat. It was whole and still had the fur on it, and I remember crying because it was dead. And to comfort me, you told me I was a moron, that the animals were there to be eaten. I knew you were right, but I still cried. And rather than force me to get used to such things, you haven't brought any animal back to camp that you haven't already prepared for cooking. You did that just so I wouldn't be sad. Here you were nourishing me - doing me a favor; keeping me _alive_, and I never thanked you for that meal. And rather than hold a grudge as you would have every right to do, you decided to shelter me from the harsh realities that I should have to deal with on my own."

His brow creased in thought. He never realized that Kagome noticed his change in behavior towards his kills. It hadn't really been a question with him. Death upset her, so she wouldn't see death. Simple as that.

She pressed his clawed palm to her cheek, smiling as his thumb caressed the flesh of its own volition. "Everyone here thinks that you're this product of something unnatural, and that it makes you dirty. But to me? To me, it makes you amazing."

His eyes widened and shook in confusion, not understanding her meaning in the slightest. "Your mother and father loved each other so much that they looked beyond social norms and the proper' way of things. It took so much courage, and such strong feelings to come together, but they did. They did because of how true and earnest their love was for one another. And you are the product of that. Inuyasha, you are walking, talking, living _proof_ that there is true love in the world, despite all the evil and corruption. You give me hope, Inuyasha. Your existence isn't filthy, it's miraculous."

A small sound like a whimper escaped his throat although his eyes held no sign of tears. "And I hate the fact that this world doesn't appreciate you like it should. These people have no right to look down on you. You're the best of both races - with the strength and assets of a youkai, with a human heart and conscience. The truth of it is that you're better than any of us, Inuyasha. You're better than those men, those kids that were mean you. You're better than the people you save who show you nothing but hatred in return. You're better than me…"

She closed the distance between them even more, their clothing barely brushing against the other's. His hand slipped from her cheek and came barely into contact with her back, for lack of a more appropriate place to put it. "Your whole life, people have deceived you into thinking you're a lesser being. But it was lies. All of it, Inuyasha. You've never had anything… No hope to hold onto, and no truths to make you see through the deceit. But if you let me… I want to give you something real."

Kagome let her eyes drop to his lips. Normally at this point she would shock herself out of what she was contemplating. She'd back off, too frightened to follow through. She feared rejection and even if he did accept her, she worried that he'd be wishing she was someone else. She was nervous that someone like her could never have the affection of someone like him. He was so close to her on a daily basis, and yet he remained teasingly out of reach.

But now wasn't the time for her to worry about such things, and she didn't. The possibility occurred to her that he might not want this, but he would have to stop her. He needed to be wanted, and after months of longing, she knew that in this moment she alone could truly give this to him. So she put her own needs aside. The need to be comforted and soothed, and to be told that she was more important. The need to be told that she was loved and cared for by him… All of it she pushed aside without even realizing it for the simple reason that the man who stood before her would be better for it.

Tentative fingertips came up to faintly caress his lips. His mouth parted ever so slightly upon contact and the mere fact that he didn't pull away was taken as a sign that it was okay to continue. The digits moved to the side as she rose, and she hesitated for a part of a second after every inch of progress made. Her throat ran completely dry, making her breath come harsher to her, even as her heart steadily increased its tempo from sheer and unmitigated excitement.

Her eyes drifted semi closed just as her sensitive lips came into the briefest of contact with his. It was as though she didn't want to admit that it was a kiss right away. She tilted her head slightly to allow a second brush against him, this time actually managing to get the smallest taste of him on her mouth. She opened to breathe, brushing a third time before finally puckering to complete the action.

At long last, her lips rest upon his, and to her relief, he pressed back. It wasn't much of a movement on either of their parts, but it was enough to melt the surrounding world away. Her fingertips began to pull his face a bit more firmly toward her as she tilted her head once more, breaking the kiss for a few seconds before resettling with a bit more force. Her other hand began to make its way up to rest on his chest and she sighed with relief when she felt his arms begin to tighten around her form and lift her up towards him. A gentle fist grabbed his haori for support - and unlike earlier today, this time it went without reprimand. Her eyes closed completely, followed in suit by his own, as she again moved her head to a different angle.

Their mouths met more insistently, breath escaping loudly through their noses when air was not an option any other way. Inuyasha began to adjust his own position as their kisses broke and began anew over and over. His heart pounded remorseless in his ears, the organ attempting to press against the delicate hand fisting his clothes. His throat tightened as his human emotions ran unbridled across the surface of his mind. It was the highest contradiction; to feel so vulnerable and powerful all at once. He could be undone by the girl in his arms, and yet she had come to him not only willingly, but urgently.

There was no discernable pattern to the length of their meetings. Sometimes their lips would barely touch before moving, and yet in others neither partner would pull back for long, unashamed seconds. The hand on his haori came up to sweep over his neck before passing to tangle in his long silver tresses.

She let out a small sound of appreciation when she felt his hands start to wander to new places on her back and shoulders in an effort to hold her even closer. It was as though he thought she would disappear, and she wanted him to know that she wasn't going anywhere without him. His fingers gripped and soothed her through the silky material of her clothing.

Her diminutive cry did not go unnoticed by him, and his being ached in response. The sound sent a shiver… No, more like a burning throughout his every last part of his being. He wanted this - needed her - to continue. He felt frantic and yet oddly in command of himself as his lips once more sought to meet with hers. Her scent surrounded him, and appeased him, while simultaneously setting him ablaze. If he was coherent any longer, he wasn't sure, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that he didn't care. The wounds she had inflicted on his heart earlier began to heal under her care. And even more extraordinary than that, he could feel the older scars start to fade.

More confidently, her hand came to rest on his cheek as she made to deepen the kiss. Her head was swimming with passion - his masculine flavor intoxicating her senses. She was content with what she had and yet needed more. Cautiously, she slipped her tongue across his bottom lip. The action clearly caught the hanyou by surprise as his next intake of breath came ragged to his lungs. She drew it back before resuming their previous motions. They had all the time in the world, and she planned to use every second of it to her advantage. She committed the feel of his taut form to memory, to allow her to relive these moments when they had passed.

Again she tried to take their kisses to the next level, happy to find that this time he went without apprehension. Instead, he resolved that this was possibly a good idea, and moved his own tongue to massage hers. The sensation sent another jolt through him although the first had yet to subside. A low growl rumbled in his chest as his eyes slit open to take in the sight of the girl in his arms.

Her face was flushed and beautiful, eyes contentedly closed. A visage of complete trust and abandonment, as well as abundant pleasure. A hand carefully nested itself in her silken hair, successfully earning him another whimper from her. He rewarded her with one of his own, a brief but unmistakable sound that caused Kagome to intensify their kisses even more so. His body hardened and the straining from earlier non-release had returned to him ten-fold. Whatever he had imagined her kisses being, it was a pale imitation to the treatment he was currently indulged in.

Finally, passion overwhelmed them and their kisses stopped being butterfly light and gentle, now turning into something deeper and far more primal. Heatedly, the two pressed together as though they would die if parted for a solitary second. Both of her hands stroked and held the sides of his face, alternating between caressing his cheek and stroking his hair and scalp. His hands roamed her back and shoulders once more, pulling her impossibly close as his fingers danced across her covered flesh to further tease and secure her.

His mouth crashed against hers over and over in an attempt to devour and bring to life her essence. Her tongue pushed its way into his mouth and battled his before he found himself wanting to be the aggressive one. He forced her back into her own mouth and followed, swirling to learn the insides of that warm cavity. She tasted how she smelled - a flavor all her own. He may not know as much about anatomy as the girl he held but he knew enough to appreciate the fact that the senses of taste and scent were closely linked. And being of inu-youkai blood, these two senses were very crucial to daily survival. The fact that she delighted these two senses in particular carried more meaning than she knew, and he could feel himself growl in approval.

His hands moved her head to grant him a better angle to explore what she was willingly giving. For a split second he pondered whether or not he was being too rough in his advances. It was a question that passed in no time at all, however, because Kagome returned his fervor equally. She would be trying to break away if she minded, not further deepening the vigorous kisses and encouraging his ravenous hands. Surely she wouldn't be clinging to him as though he were her last remaining lifeline…

When he felt his knees ready to buckle beneath him, he moved his head sharply to the side to break contact with her sweet, tempting mouth. He drew in a desperate breath as she did the same. His face returned to hers, their foreheads pressing together, even as their hands obstinately refused to cease their roaming. Kagome was the first to crack open lust-filled eyes, but found quickly that she was not ready to keep them that way. She closed them once more before taking exaggerated blinks to regain her senses, and she was surprised when she met his dilated amber gaze.

She felt herself grin a reassurance to them both that this had been a good experience. His mouth returned her gesture in what was more a cocky, satisfied smirk.

How very like him to choose a moment like this to look _that_ conceited.

Finally having her lungs once more, she made to speak. She meant to tell him that she enjoyed herself. That he was her one and only, and that she loved him more than he could ever know. She wanted to further soothe his uncertainties after years of constant rejection from the world he lived in. To drive home a few more points as to why he mattered and that she didn't care what anyone else had to say on the issue of his worth. All of this she poured into a speech, a look, a caress of her hand as she at last located her voice and forced it to the surface.

"Kiss good."

Satisfied that she had articulately conveyed all of her points, she grinned as his smile widened and a low chuckle sounded in his chest. One of his hands came to her face, and pushed the hair away from the side and back with the rest behind her. His palm returned to her back, rubbing up and down passively. Their foreheads still rest against each other, and he closed his eyes as he let her words sink in further. A signature pride-filled laugh escaped his lips, and he reopened his gaze to hers. "Yeah, Kagome. Kiss Good." Came his husky teasing assent.

Kagome allowed her head to fall to his shoulder and slid her arms around his back. Her eyes drifted closed once more as she inhaled his scent and nuzzled the side of his neck. A relatively stable hand came up to comb through her hair, an altogether soothing motion, and she let herself relax completely, a sigh of relief and contentment, a gift from her all-together relieved lungs.

Inuyasha placed his jaw and the side of his face against the top of her head. He too closed his eyes, holding her steadily against his body. Although happiness and ease flowed through his veins, he found the trauma from earlier begin to take hold. He knew that this was real. Kagome wasn't just kissing him to prove a point. She had wanted this - wanted him, as much as he wanted her. And yet what would happen when they set foot outside this room? Would she pretend nothing had changed when they were around others, gracing him with her engaging kisses only in private where the rest of the world would not see that she had affection for a lowly hanyou?

Despite her words, that was how the world saw him. The last thing he wanted was for them to look down on Kagome the same way they scorned him. Such a pure, beautiful creature she was. She deserved the best that the Earth had to offer, and _he_ couldn't give her that perfect life. After all, she had been the one to make the first move. That wasn't the way it should have been. She shouldn't have had to comfort him and use her body to alleviate his embarrassment over something that he shouldn't have been doing in the first place. Kagome would run terrified of him if she knew what sinister lust he had for her, and rightly so. She was kind and innocent.

Although, come to think of it, where DID she learn to kiss like that?

He had never felt anything quite like what Kagome had given him. He had pressed his lips to exactly one other person, and even then his lips did nothing more than put the tiniest amount of pressure upon his partner's. Kagome's kisses were hot and moist, causing friction with the tilts and angles of her face. Breaking apart only to find one another again, her lips occasionally capturing one of his between hers, sucking back ever so slightly. And that thing with her tongue? Was that _normal_? Did other people do that? Or was it something she invented? Regardless of the answer, his mind raced as he recalled how wondrous it had been to explore her mouth. To taste her fully, tongues massaging and dueling. He recalled that she had slipped over one of his fangs and shivered in delight, of all things, against him; unafraid of the monster now held her even tighter - desperate to not let the closeness end so soon.

He would not hold it against her if she chose to keep their interlude a secret and any future excursions away from meddling eyes. In fact, it would probably be best that way for her safety as well as her dignity. And if this was all he ever received in the way of tenderness, it was more than he ever expected or deserved. If only time would stand still for him so that he might never let go.

As though sensing his change in mood, Kagome began planting modest kisses on his neck where she was tucked securely against him. Her hanyou clearly needed more proof of her affection. Or perhaps he just needed to lose himself for however brief an encounter. He had carried the massive weight of prejudice for his entire life, and the miko wanted to allow him to set the burden aside. In that second, she made it her goal to steal Sisyphus' boulder, or perhaps help him to finally push it to the top.

Inuyasha flexed his neck in a silent appeal for her to continue her attentions. She answered his call, and ran a thumb across his opposite cheek as the rest of her hand cradled his tilting head. A soft moan proffered from his lips, encouraging her to make her way upward before retreating back down to the hem of his haori. She paused to suckle the tender flesh, her mouth opening to accommodate her tongue. A second moan as well as a brusque intake of breath was her reward and she took thorough pride in it.

Her unoccupied hand decided that she did not have enough of his skin available to her and sought to remedy this inconvenience. Fingers tugged at the hem by his collar bone, pulling the fabric aside and almost off his shoulder. His shoulder blade and some of his chest now stood exposed to the air. A slight chill ran over his heated skin before Kagome's mouth and hand rushed to take the place of the garment.

He was startled by the action at first. He had believed their encounter to be finished but it seemed Kagome had other ideas. The resemblance was uncanny to his earlier fantasy with her scorching lips upon the flesh of his neck and chest.

Her attentions continued along his shoulder blade and she grumbled in frustration as she once again encountered the resistance of his haori. Wordlessly, she rectified the injustice of it all, the hand which had been on his cheek escaping down to the front of his chest where the ties to his clothing took residence. With impossibly quick movements of her fingers, she had the clothes at her mercy, sliding them open and then completely off his muscular torso.

His eyes snapped open at her brazenness, and turned his head to take in the site of his innocent' little miko hungrily lapping at his body. When did she get this aggressive and confident? He must have stiffened or ceased his instinctive movements across her back because her glazed eyes opened to look into his, questioning without a sound whether or not she was free to continue her uninvited assault on his upper body.

She must have decided that he needed convincing because her mouth quickly sought his, her fingers roaming the newly exposed expanse of his chest. Her middle finger encountered a quickly hardening nipple, and she brushed over it a second time before taking it between her thumb and index. He cried out suddenly into the kiss, hands clamping down on her arms and shoulders. She would have taken this as a bad sign but his mouth told a different story. His tongue urgently pushed between her lips to battle and dominate hers. She pinched the flesh between her fingers once more before moving to simply run her fingers and palm across it.

That hand worked its way around the back of his neck as the other concluded that his opposite nipple deserved the same attention. He harshly broke the kiss to draw a ragged breath but immediately returned to her as soon as his lungs were sated. _That's it,_ _Inu. Let it go…'_ she encouraged him within her own mind. Inuyasha hauled her against him, no longer leaving room between them for her wandering hands but having her crushed to him once more was almost worth the loss.

Kagome knew that her legs were becoming all but useless and felt the strong impulse to move this endeavor elsewhere. Briefly, she contemplated her options on how to accomplish this. She didn't want to leave this open for discussion. Surely if she allowed for that, he would say something that would cause her to lose her nerve. She was blissfully avoiding all the arguments her mind would normally come up with against this sort of licentious activity. But Inuyasha had a knack for saying the wrong things and she just knew he'd find a way to snap her reasoning back into line with the habitual status quo.

After a few moments of inner debate, a course was chosen. Her hands gasped his, moving to place them on the sides of her face and twisted in her hair, a position that was entirely agreeable to him as he continued to plunder her mouth unchecked. Now moving her own arms around his waist and across the firm expanse of his back, she contracted one of said arms to indicate that she wanted him to rotate with her.

Quick footwork accompanied her arms' efforts and Inuyasha, through his hazy lustful thoughts, acquiesced. She backed him up a few steps, realizing that he was about to come out of his daze. Without further delay, she locked one of her legs behind his and brought it upward to push against the back of his knee.

Already unstable from pleasure, Inuyasha allowed the leg to give without protest and the other bent to accommodate. He was surprised to find that he now sat quite comfortably on the softness of the extra futon that the horrid tavern owner had provided. How Kagome had been able to accomplish that complex a maneuver in the midst of such high passion was truly a feat but he didn't have much time to contemplate it.

Kagome strategically moved her leg from behind his just as he settled onto the futon, grinning against his mouth triumphantly that her mission had been accomplished. She now kneeled on the futon between his bent legs and she moved her hands back to his sinfully fit chest. Relocation complete, she lightly shoved her hanyou onto his back, her mouth not breaking from his until necessary.

His eyes reopened when his head came into contact with a pillow and his back settled against the soft cushion beneath him. He didn't think he liked the fact that his kisses had ended but his objections was short-lived. Kagome's illusive pink tongue flicked the first nipple she had raised moments before triggering shots of fire to course through his body. The lurch of his neck caused his head to be thrown back in bliss at the sensation, his eyes shutting instinctively before opening wide to mimic his gasping mouth. How was he to guess it would feel like this? To have her do this to his body without question or apology. He was well aware he could stop this at any time and knew she also held this knowledge. Such a powerful feeling to be wanted… She desired him so forcefully that she had pushed aside her own need to know she would not be refused.

He probably would have pondered that fact further but the feeling of her hands playing with the ties of his hakama snapped him out of wonderment.

"Kagome…" he managed to rasp, drawing her attention from his remaining clothes to his features. A guilty expression greeted him and a coy smile worked its way from corner to corner of her lips. Without reply, she crawled up his body in what would have been a predatory stalk had she not been so tender and nervous. She lay her weight slightly upon him, and drew questioning lips to her own before pulling back.

Fingertips touched his cheek and he opened his eyes to meet hers, not really sure when they had closed in the first place. Her gaze was understanding and purposeful but also betrayed her anxiety. She searched his golden depths before ultimately tracking down her lost voice.

"Inuyasha. Let me do this for you. Unless you're uncomfortable, I want to." Kagome whispered her plea.

His eyes narrowed contemplating her possible meaning. "Wha-" he started, not sure of his ability to speak coherently. "What are you going to…"

Her hand stroked his face with a bit more firmness and she closed her eyes, pushing her forehead to his. Gazing at his bewildered expression again she answered his unfinished question. "It's okay. Trust me. I'd never hurt you." She told him.

"Like you _could_." He stated with a certain air of indignation. That she would think he'd be frightened of someone as fragile as her… Feh! Clearly that wasn't the issue, he was merely curious - not to mention hesitant toward the idea that she'd be seeing… and touching… well, _there_. It was far more a matter of whether of not he wanted to risk her being disgusted. He didn't exactly think much of his body, and that part in particular wasn't necessarily _attractive_, per say. He had on occasion seen other males in a state of undress (namely Miroku), so he knew he wasn't terribly disfigured or different, but would Kagome know that?

Eventually his mind reasoned that she would considering she seemed to have some sort of plan formulated in her mind. He always knew that sneaky wench was plotting _something_. He never fathomed it'd be _this_, but he narrowed his eyes in accusation and new found awareness all the same.

Reaching the verdict that he'd allow her to proceed, his hands cupped her face and brought her in for a gentle, reassuring kiss. Kagome took this for the consent that it was and crawled her way back down his body before sitting up between his powerful thighs. She was relieved that he hadn't said more. Her bravery was beginning to waver and she needed to re-surrender herself to lust soon before it drained too terribly low. She forced eye contact with the hanyou as she worked the top button of her blouse loose.

When she first left his mouth in favor of scooting further down his body, he had tensed, still wary but making no move to stop her. In his mind he saw a time when he had been bathing in the company of his mother. A couple of the village children and their own mother had seen him. The exact words of their repugnance hadn't been engrained on his mind. Only the disapproving scowls and the fact that his mother had said nothing to defend him for fear of retaliation. In private, she had told him to heed not their words. What if Kagome suffered the same revulsion - believing herself to be brave enough to handle it, but proving herself wrong upon actually seeing a completely exposed freak'? The girl often times did act without thought and as a result habitually landed herself in unfavorable situations.

And come to think of it, Kagome had seen him naked before… Twice, to be exact. Once he was in a hot spring and the heat had gotten to him. The miko had come at the sound of Miroku's and his outcries; they had seen Sesshoumaru's youkai mule above and assumed the inu demon was close by. She had screamed upon finding him collapsed and spread-eagle, and he was not surprised by her resounding shriek of appall. The other time had been not too long after in her era. The little brother had taken him to bathe in the house but the water was scalding hot. Souta had tried to tell him it was a normal temperature, but virtually boiling' was not natural at all! He had broken free of the horrid water with its odd bubbly surface and run to his comfort zone: Kagome. The girl had promptly thrown everything within her reach at him, screaming to get out of her bedroom.

These thoughts weren't exactly comforting. If it came to a similar experience, Inuyasha was not certain what he would do. He could always just push her away and run out to the solitude of the surrounding forest. Although he wouldn't willingly leave her, he may have no choice…

However, these thoughts screeched to a dead halt as he fixed upon her movements. Inuyasha's breath caught, eyes gaping in anticipation. Delicate digits took their time slipping each button from its constraint, giving him a sight to truly behold as she slowly worked her way down her own body. He hadn't ever really given much thought to anything like this. The few times that he had seen Kagome add to or subtract from her clothing, it had been a hurried process of necessity. Never was she looking directly into his eyes, fully conscious of the fact that he was watching. Never did she use such cautious and sensual movements. And never did the wench take so damned long to get so few buttons undone!

Her agonizingly slow pace served only to arouse him more; an achievement that a few moments ago he would have proclaimed impossible. But as his eyes met with supple skin and teasingly calculated movements of her fingers, the stiffness inside his hakama became that much more unbearable.

Finally, the last button was unclasped, and Kagome broke her gaze with him, in favor of the futon at her side. Had he any real concept of seduction, he would recognize that she was purposefully baring her neck to him. Unfortunately her subtlety was lost on the hanyou, although he had to admit she was quite the enticing vixen at the moment. She opened the shirt soon after her work was complete and allowed it to slide down her shoulders, to her arms, and then finally to the floor.

He cursed inwardly as he realized that she had been wearing something underneath. It was not a lot of something, but he had been expecting to see those tempting vivacious curves of hers unhindered. Then she had the nerve to smile coyly towards the ground before returning her eyes to his.

"I didn't want my sleeves getting in the way." She mused, now sitting before Inuyasha in a thinly strapped tank top of the same silky material as the rest of her bedclothes.

Well, one positive aspect of this new apparel was that he could now straightforwardly see her plump, distended nipples pressing against the fabric when she moved. The top was still too loose for his liking as it did have some give and didn't cling steadfastly to its owner's skin, but he resolved to enjoy whatever show she was planning to give.

To facilitate his efforts, the hanyou reached back and to the side of him, gathering the pillows that lay within arms reach to push them behind him, elevating his back to a slightly inclined position. Whatever Kagome had dreamed up in that sexy little head of hers, he'd be damned if he was going to miss a second of it. Now half-way sitting up, thoughts of earlier imagery flashed through his mind. Her fingers stroking him, pulling at him, and making those delicious mewls of desire in his ears. Perhaps he was setting himself up to be disappointed, but he dismissed the thoughts as quickly as they came, reasoning that if she was, after all, in a wholly virgin state of mind that he would simply have to teach her. That thought alone was enough to make him close him eyes in ecstasy. Showing her not only willing but eager hands how to bring him to the heights of pleasure was a strict taboo even in his dreams and he had only indulged in that particular forbidden a handful of times.

Once more, decisive fingers toyed the hakama ties. All together too slowly the knots came loose and the material fell slack. He lifted his hips briefly to accommodate the removal of the last garment he wore, now sporting nothing but his skin and the rosary around his neck.

Kagome tugged the pants off of her would-be lover, shuddering at the erotic site of his legs being bared to her. There was something about her own hands having been the cause of the sight that made it sinfully exquisite. She hadn't dared to let her gaze trail further than his thighs for fear of the unknown. She wasn't exactly one to usually panic in the face of something new (after all, here she was time traveling to a time where vicious demons roamed the planet…), but this was different. It was Inuyasha. And as excited as she was by the prospect of finally putting an end to her deduced imagery, there was a certain amount of nervousness associated with seeing a naked man for the first time; at least one that was actually _there_, in her presence, that she was not only permitted to but was _expected_ to touch. However once his clothing was successfully cast aside, she found herself unable to avert her eyes any longer.

Her heart thudded in her chest, seemingly dropping out of place for a second before eventually working back up. The pulse sent an ache to tips of her nipples causing the already aroused buds to stiffen even further. Her head tilted to the side and she licked her lips unconsciously, suddenly finding her mouth lacking of any moisture at all. And that was something that simply wouldn't do for what she had in mind.

Inuyasha studied her reaction intently. At first it didn't seem that she wanted to look at him. Perhaps she had caught a glimpse and was repulsed? But before he could react to such negative thoughts, the miko had glanced down at what his body had to offer. A smirk presented itself upon his lips as Kagome's breath shook and her eyes filled with primitive lust. Taking note of the rest of her, she had notably tensed, her body excited and her now even more taut breasts strained against the fabric of her shirt. Clearly the girl before him didn't hate what she saw.

Inuyasha wasn't as outrageously huge as some of the men were in her time, but he was certainly larger and notably thicker than most she had seen. And this was the first one she had seen displayed for her so closely… The skin of his erection was a shade or two darker than the rest of him, though that could just have been due to the increased amount of blood that flowed beneath. Miraculous individual he was and she felt her lower body throb in yearning. She would have to deny her body's request, however. This wasn't about her, and she knew it. Still, she all but shook with anticipation for what was to come.

Not meeting his eyes, Kagome's fingers splayed over the surface of his outer thigh. Her head dipped and eyes closed and she placed lingering, wet kisses along the inner flesh of the same leg. She swirled her tongue over the heated skin, occasionally pressing her teeth against him as well. It was not enough to be called a true bite or even a nip, but merely enough pressure to give a less pliable gesture than her tongue could provide.

Fingertips teased and massaged the opposite leg, not wanting to leave it ignored. Her greedy hand molded the muscles beneath, making her mind reel at the power his legs possessed. She was extremely aroused and a large part of her wanted to skip right to the end of her plans. She resolutely fought against these urges, however. She intended this to last a good long while. She might have been in a playful mood; she wasn't entirely aware of her own emotions at the moment - not really able to give the feelings a name. She just knew that she was going to savor every last second with him that she could or she would be damned trying. It would be a more pleasurable experience for him if his release was prolonged, and that was, after all, the whole point. Inwardly, she grinned. And he thought her osuwari's were torturous…

Her mouth continued to work towards the center of him and she noticed a slight change in the feeling of his skin. It was no longer as giving, the skin becoming more firm, and yet softer and a bit smoother to the touch. At the apex of where his thigh met his torso, Kagome leaned in and sucked with her lips. Long, demanding pulls meant to drive the hanyou beneath her crazy.

Even as she did this, she shut her eyes as she felt herself finally give into her mind's demands. The hand that had previously been playing with the ignored thigh came down to place butterfly strokes across his hardened shaft.

At the sight of her mouth on his leg, Inuyasha's head rolled back. He hadn't ever imagined of kissing someone there, believing until now that the mouth never ventured lower than the chest, and that was only supposed to be on females. But that delusion was quashed effectively as her tongue came out to dance across his thigh. Licking and suckling her way down… He thought he would die from torment, the stiffness between his legs protesting loudly at being left unattended. Her hand moved to his other leg, leaving no part of him unsatisfied, save for the one part that truly needed satisfying.

When her mouth began to suck on the junction of his leg, his hips bucked involuntarily as his shaft twitched in rejoinder. Kagome didn't seem to mind his loss of control over his lower extremities. She didn't even cast him so much as a scolding glace, so he figured his reaction hadn't been unwelcome. The sight of Kagome working his lower body made him reel and keen both physically and emotionally. Her dark hair gathered behind her shoulders, eyes shut in concentration. Those sly hands of hers playing the role of an expert seductress on his self. He found his voice calling to her, lost behind incoherency and a cloud of rapturous agony. His eyes fought to stay open but it was a battle he was defeated in several times. He didn't want to miss the sight before him but his body was working against him in this. Hands fisted the sheets of the futon at his sides as he struggled for a semblance of control. He needed her to touch him _there_, and while he tried to form the words, they stubbornly wouldn't come. Again and again he thrust his hips modestly upwards, praying she'd get the message. But either his pleas were going ignored or she didn't understand because she made no move to quell the throbbing ardor between his legs.

He was ready to reach down and tend to the issue himself. Perhaps she was nervous and didn't know… Now granted his mind wasn't thinking quite that clearly, but that is what it broke down to - she wasn't doing it, so _he_ would. His body was coming apart at the seams and if she didn't hurry…

That was when she finally touched the part of him that needed her attention the most. It was so different to have someone else - to have Kagome - stroking him. Her touch was little more than feathery brushes with the pads of her fingers. Still, it was better than anything he had ever done to himself. His ears took in the sounds of his own moaning, instigating him to wonder just when that had started. He was barely lucid, but he managed to spread his legs wider in the hopes of encouraging her new find.

It must have worked because Kagome's hand now circled around his shaft. Much to his frustration she had yet to make contact with the head, and it throbbed in startling need. He noticed for the first time just how much it had changed color, the blood rushing beneath the skin tinting him almost purple. He threw back his head once more in an attempt to tell her what he needed. If she didn't touch the tip soon, he was going to go insane with unfulfilled craving.

"Ka - Kago - me... So… Need… Ah fuck!"

The hanyou knew that this was not his finest hour word-wise. The vibration of the miko's responding giggle only served to bring him closer to the edge. His eyes cast down at her, desperately hoping that she'd see in them what he wanted. However, Kagome wasn't looking at his face at the moment. She was preoccupied with laving the surface of that apex. Her tender lips, still swollen from their earlier kisses moved carefully back up his thigh and her hand slid up and down his shaft without putting any real pressure into it. Her eyes finally met his, and he begged her with them and a pathetically raw whimper to understand, his own hands flexing and re-fisting the blankets.

Responding to his unspoken petition, she never broke eye contact with him. She moved her hand upward dramatically so that he could clearly view it in the peripheral and gave his tip a sudden, firm pinch.

He screamed. He released. His neck heaved back his head as he spilled his desire out through the place that she still held in her finger tips. He was scalding, his body roaring - heart raging with satisfaction of the peak. He briefly wondered if she had known this would happen but couldn't bring himself to concentrate on any one thought. His mind was full of Kagome. Sweet little Kagome riding his back, sucking his thigh, asleep in her bed, on that bicycle, cooking him ramen, and gasping his name in ecstasy. That was it. She was his undoing. They both knew this now. A simple squeeze had proven it beyond any shadow of doubt.

Finally, he came down from his orgasm and he tended to his lungs, providing them with much needed oxygen. The warmth of Kagome left his lower body and his eyes slit open to locate her. She was hunched over her bag, digging within its depths. He allowed his head to crash back on the pillows once more, deciding that he didn't care what she was doing at the moment.

Indeed, Kagome had been surprised when Inuyasha came but not for the motives he assumed. She hadn't even finished what she had been building to. She had often heard the insults thrown around about premature ejaculation. At this moment she realized how stupid the barbs truly were. Inuyasha had been consumed by a torrent of passion. She managed to excite him to such heights that he reached his orgasm with relative ease on her part. The thought was thrilling, not disappointing, that she could drive him to the brink of sanity by mere touch alone - exciting him in ways no one had done before. She was sure that her predecessor would have never performed such an act even if she knew it existed. She would see it as lowering herself or demeaning to do such a thing for a tainted hanyou.

But Kagome couldn't see it that way even if she tried. She had done what she could to prove to him that he was important. And she didn't regret a second of it. Hell she was _proud_ of herself for bringing him over the edge as quickly as she did. Gazing upwards, she couldn't stifle a grin. The most beautiful boy she had ever laid eyes upon was stretched out before her naked and glistening, his head rolling from side to side as he refilled his lungs with air and attempted to find the ground beneath him. Kagome determined herself to be deliciously satisfied that she had done this and that no one else in the world had ever seen the normally callous and guarded hanyou so openly vulnerable.

She reluctantly made her way to her pack, searching for the washcloth she carried with her to cleanse her face. Inuyasha's gasps and small grunts of satisfaction still rang in her ears. Several times he had tried to form words, mostly syllables that resembled her name. It made the ever-raging pool in her abdomen tighten, and she could feel the dampness between her legs. She recalled that his knuckles had turned all but white and even took pleasure in the way he had driven his hips upward in primal instinctive necessity. She swallowed a groan of her own remembering the vision he had made, spreading himself wide in complete trust and devastating need as she had moved her tongue across his sensitive flesh.

Finding the cloth relatively quick, she returned to her position between Inuyasha's legs. She wiped the sticky fluid from her fingers before going to work on him. He stirred when he felt her touch, her hands causing his sex to spasm once. She was surprised to find him still hard. Then again, the poor boy had been driven to the brink without release just a short time ago. It was little wonder that his body would be left hungry for more.

She wet the edge of the washcloth with her tongue before sweeping it over his tip. Dizzy eyes met her gaze and she smiled reassuringly, if not a bit shy. It was one thing to touch him in the throes of passion, but this was different. They were both (more) coherent, and her movements were that of necessity rather than that of seduction. She could feel the blush on her cheeks as she rubbed the surface and went back to avoiding eye contact and focusing on the task before her.

To think that she'd be shy after doing what she did was a bit of a contradiction, but she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking at the moment. She moved the cloth over and down his shaft, collecting the rest of his release.

Inuyasha's body was slack, despite the fact that he could still feel strong desire burning within. He could never remember coming quite that powerfully. He had certainly given his priestess quite a show, that was for damn sure. He wasn't good with manners, but he knew he should say something along the lines of thanks. However, how do you phrase such a thing? He tried his luck. "Damn… Kagome… That was… You're…"

"Not done." She completed for him. At this, half-mast eyes popped to attention.

More!? What more is there…?' "What? You're… Ahh!"

He never got to finish whatever sentence he was trying to start. Kagome had returned her now more confident fingers to his shaft and was tugging with more force than before.

Whatever ache had waned in the wake of his orgasm, now returned to his body. He stiffened and lengthened beneath her hands, feeling hot and parched. His skin hummed, and he couldn't stifle a sex-induced groan from escaping his lips - not that he bothered to try to keep it in. Finding that he was in a bit more control this time, he watched with rapt attention as Kagome pleasured him. The sight of one of those small hands wrapped around him, squeezing and pulling, and drifting over him.. Her other hand came down between his legs as well, but bypassed his shaft to cup and knead the tender sacs below. There was a place behind them as well that Kagome sought and found, pressing a knuckle firmly to it. "Holy shit, Woman!" the hanyou exclaimed, wondering where on Earth she learned to do this. She was doing things that he had never even done to himself!

A pang of jealousy ran untamed in his heart and mind as he thought of her having done this to another male. Sure, it would have been in the past, but he still didn't like the idea…

His envy of his unknown predecessor was instantaneously forgotten when he felt her tongue on his head. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, much less feeling. Her searing, wet mouth encased the top of him, her tongue lapping at the tip, pressing into the tiny opening at the center. The movements of her tongue were fast and firm. If that wasn't enough, she began to suck back simultaneously, forcing his hips to lift towards her.

The hand that had been fondling him lower came to hold him down as she continued. She maneuvered her body so that she was sitting sideways to him, knowing he was watching and she wished to grant him a better view. Men were very visual creatures, and Inuyasha would be no different despite his demon blood.

He watched more of his shaft disappear past her lips, only to be brought out again. Her tongue continued its sweet torture, and one of his legs kicked forward in reply, his heel digging into the futon for sanity. His head was thrashing from side to side, wanting to watch, but not able to physically summon the strength to keep his eyes trained on any one thing. A hand made its way to the top of her head. He knew better than to force it down, but he had to have _some_ contact with the girl! He settled for fondling her scalp, his moans telling her the rest.

"Ungh. Kagome… Oh Kami, yes." His voice barely above a whimper. The girl between his thighs stroked one of his legs in an assuring manner as she continued to pleasure him.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him that hadn't before. _Is this what I haven't been able to imagine us doing? Is this what it is?'_

He wanted to ponder the question more, he truly did. But the feeling of her mouth wrapped around him… Her tongue. Her breath. Her hands alternating between thighs, shaft, and sacs… He was consumed and bewildered. He had never imagined anything this powerful. He felt vulnerable and commanding simultaneously, despite the irony. She was his and she was servicing _him_; but he was utterly at her mercy.

"So fucking good. Kagome… Oh!"

Her fingers came up above his length to tease the dark patch of hair that started somewhat below his navel. She had been surprised by the color at first, realizing for the first time that she had unconsciously assumed it would be silver like his mane of hair. However upon further thought, his eyebrows were black, so it did in fact make sense. She wanted to giggle, but her mouth was quite full at the moment. Such strange thoughts to have at a time like this…

Her hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Cupping his sacs, massaging his thighs, and wrapping around the exposed portion of his shaft. All the while, the girl's anguish-inflicting tongue swirled around and pressed firmly into him. It did not take terribly long under this treatment for Inuyasha to approach his next peak. She slid her lips up and down his length, sucking back hard and then not at all. She took a breath through her mouth, allowing chilled air to rush over him before engulfing him in sweet warmth once more. He called her name and tried to tell her with his hand that she needed to stop. He was about to explode, and he didn't think she'd appreciate him doing so in this position.

But Kagome's only response was to look him dead in the eye, letting him know that she heard and understood. With another swirl of her tongue and suck back, she fondled him lower and on his thighs once more. He screamed for her a second time that night. His body shook and burned as he released into her mouth. His eyes burst wide when he realized that she was drinking him. Her eyes gleamed with feral satisfaction before she closed them again to focus on her current undertaking.

His form went slack, no longer bucking wildly beneath her. The stiffness between her lips declined as he finished. She removed him from her mouth and coughed lightly, rubbing her chest with her hand. She hadn't expected the flavor to be good, but she didn't know it would burn going down. She wiped her lips as she caught her breath, glancing up to the now very sated hanyou. She smiled to herself in spite of the bitter flavor - this was the second duty' she had never done before today. And this turned out to be ever so much better than the first.

She crawled up beside Inuyasha, and pushed his bangs from his sweaty brow. His eyes took in her change in position before shutting once more, a grin splaying over his features. His arm pulled the girl close and onto his chest and he placed a lengthy kiss on her forehead before indicating that she should settle herself against him.

She didn't want to argue, taking joy in his afterglow, loving the feel of his arm wrapped securely around her. She threw one leg between his, mindful of where her knee landed, and nuzzled into his chest. Her fingers traced invisible designs across his skin and he sighed with ease. His unoccupied hand came up to pull her into a complete embrace and used it to begin stroking her hair. He studied his claws for a moment as they passed through the raven tresses. Kagome's eyes had closed, and she cooed softly clueing him into the fact that she enjoyed his attention to her hair.

He lay there taken aback - she truly didn't mind that he was a hanyou and could rip her to shreds. In fact, she was taking little pleasures in his normally deadly claws combing through her silky locks. He allowed his second hand to drop to hers, halting her patterns on his chest. He brought the delicate digits to his lips and began to kiss each one, followed by her palm and wrist.

Still paying his respects to her fingers, he decided this was as good a time as any to voice his questions. Although he didn't want to spoil the peace that had fallen over them, he wouldn't be able to get the image of Kagome with someone else out of his head until he knew for a fact what had occurred to make her so damn good at all this.

He continued his small loving upon her hair and hand. "Umm, Kagome…"

"Hmm?" he heard a quiet hum signaling that he had her attention but that she did not presently have any intention of moving from her current arrangement.

"What is his name?"

Kagome made a sound of confusion in her throat. "Huh? Whose name?"

"The name of the guy I'm gonna have to kill." He popped one of her digits in his mouth and licked the tip, emulating her previous actions on a very different part of his body.

She sighed in an almost whimpering fashion at the attention he was giving her fingers. "We killin someone?" she questioned him lazily.

Inuyasha realized that his ministrations were hopelessly relaxing the girl in his arms. He couldn't help but smile at this newfound power. Now he knew what to do whenever she was ready to osuwari' his face into the ground.

"Yes. I have to kill the one who taught you all of this. I don't want some other guy walkin around with the same memories I got."

At this, Kagome did stir and laughed outright. She turned over so that she was on her side facing him, his arm now resting across her stomach and his mouth no longer pleasuring her fingers. He decided it was worth the sacrifice to get the name, but didn't take to kindly to the fact that she thought it was funny. His hand began to rub her belly possessively, a slight scowl adorning his countenance. "Well, then you're going to be killing a lot of people, Inuyasha." She informed him with broad toothy smile.

Inuyasha's eyes nearly popped from his head before narrowing as he growled. "What!? How many?"

She giggled again. This whole laughing thing was starting to irritate him. "Well, I learned some of this stuff from watching TV and movies, other things I read in books, some I had to learn in school, and the rest came from talking to my friends. So that's quite the list…"

"You've done this with those people in the box!? I thought you said you didn't know any of them! And _this_ is what you go to school for!? _That's_ what's in those books you're always reading!? I knew I shouldn't be letting you go back to that world of yours!" He declared. She was staring at him in shock, her mouth attempting to form words. Then a horrifying realization hit him. "Is _this_ what those test' things are that you're always taking!?"

Confusion and anger adorned him. She didn't quite know what to say to all of this. On one hand it was endearing that he was being possessive. On the other, he was calling her a slut. However, she couldn't stay angry with him for being upset by her possible promiscuity and she smiled tenderly before stroking the sputtering hanyou's cheek. His incoherent ranting dulled at her touch. "Inuyasha, I've never done this with anyone before. I just know a lot about it. In my era, it's kind of hard not to know about these things."

He regarded the girl suspiciously, finding a tiny inner-calm. "You mean, you did all that with no practice? I'm the only one?" He had to confirm it bluntly - the girl was far too confusing in her answers.

She nodded her head, still resting on his torso. "Yes. You're the only one, Inuyasha. You're the only one I _would_ do this type of thing with."

He grinned conceitedly, satisfied that he was without opponents. As usual, however, his heart and mouth conveyed two differing emotions. He turned up his nose and closed his eyes. "Feh. I better be." Now for the question that had been nagging at him. _Is this what it is?'_ His face grew serious and his eyes reopened as a sigh escaped him, but he did not stop caressing her stomach. He returned his other hand to her hair, marveling at the content exhale and the way her whole being surrendered to the simple touch.

Kagome rolled her eyes but didn't respond in kind, resolutely deciding to enjoy the feel of his hand restarting its paths on her scalp rather than argue about his arrogant comment.

"Kagome… I have to ask you something else." He informed her.

She hummed her permission for him to continue. He wanted her eyes to be open so that he could gage her sincerity but at the same time maybe it was best that she not see his blushing expression. "Was what we just did… When I was in your mouth… and I… Did we… Was that…?" He couldn't get the question out and he hated it.

Her eyes slid open to consider him. He sighed. "Did we just mate, Kagome?"

She seemed stunned at the question but he felt some relief that at least she wasn't laughing. He decided he best explain. "No one taught me anything. About this. About… women. …You. And I know that I have to be inside when I… release. And I was… I thought it would be different, but…"

"No. It wasn't sex. Well, I guess it _is_ oral sex…" she muttered the last part more to herself. She looked into his eyes realizing that she had only confused the poor boy more. She hadn't been at all anticipating such a question; up until today she thought that maybe he had even done this sort of thing before… Perhaps with more than one person. But this question certainly put that misconception to rest efficiently.

"What we did? It's something that people do to pleasure each other. It's not done for any other reason. It's not mating', but it's similar, I guess." She paused searching for more words. "When people are going to have sex, they do this sort of thing to get ready, but they don't always have sex afterwards."

Kagome knew she wasn't explaining it well, but she didn't know how to explain the concept for foreplay. She hoped she had put his fear to rest, but she could see something in his amber gaze that told her he wasn't completely satisfied with the new knowledge. "Inuyasha… I wouldn't have had sex with you without talking to you or asking first. That wouldn't be right… Understand?"

At that he nodded. Before her excursion on his lower body, Inuyasha had always figured that he knew enough about sex to get by. He assumed that it had to do with the areas on her body that always remained hidden by her clothes… But when she had taken him into her mouth he was frightened that perhaps he was completely wrong or that maybe there was more than one way to mate. He needed to know one way or the other and as such was satisfied with her answer. The hand behind her head urged her to move toward him, and he met her mouth with a burning kiss, tasting his own residual flavor. "Thank you, Kagome. For doing pleasure on me."

She giggled inwardly at his choice of words, meeting his lips again before resettling on his chest. She laid against his warmth, listening to the steady thrum of his heart almost as though she was preparing to sleep. But while she was very comfortable, she knew she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. After this encounter, she wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep for a few days, at the very least.

With Kagome no longer stimulating his body, Inuyasha's skin began to feel the cold of the night. It made him wonder just where his hakama had gotten to but he was reluctant to give up such a nice position. Perhaps if he made the excuse about her, she would be more likely to come back to him. "Kagome, do you need to go get some water? That stuff ain't exactly ramen." He offered.

Kagome laughed out loud, smiling brightly at him. "You wouldn't be offended? I was worried you'd think I was accusing you of tasting bad."

He smirked even as he growled at the statement before attempting to look extremely affronted. "Well when you put it that way, fine. You'll just have to suffer." His arms wrapped tightly around her to emphasize his point, and his forced frown only serving to increase her laughter.

He let her go and she rolled up and off of his chest allowing the cold night air to sweep over the warm skin she had been occupying. Growling softly at the chill, he reached down to the bottom of the futon where he spotted his pants. Kagome was busy rifling through her ridiculously oversized satchel before at last procuring a water bottle. He was somewhat relieved that she wouldn't see him redressing. His mind was unknowingly mimicking Kagome's own thoughts from earlier. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen all he had to offer, but there was a clear difference between typical and gratification-induced nudity.

Hakama successfully in place and retied, he sat up and stretched his limbs. Kagome may have driven him to new emotional and physically gratifying heights, but when it came down to it, all he really did was lie there. His eyes caught sight of the girl replacing the drink in her bag. The shirt she wore was far too scanty to be worn without a cover. His lips curled at the memory of her little strip tease - emphasis on _tease_. He had long wanted to see what lay under those weird clothes of hers without interruption or fear of being subdued. After all, now she had explored every last crevice of his body; it was only fair that he be allowed to return in kind.

She stood and pivoted back to the futon, noticing with slight disappointment that he was once again dressed, at least half way. Although proper ladies weren't supposed to revel in the sight of a naked man, she had proudly found a loophole in the argument. She wasn't just looking at a naked man. Inuyasha was a naked hanyou. Thus, her lustful fascination was entirely justified. Inwardly her conscience groaned that she would make such an argument in spite of the fact that she had just spent a great deal of time and effort proving that she didn't think of him as being different. But she steadfastly told that voice to go screw itself for the time being.

She stretched her arms above her head concluding that her body was clearly unaccustomed to being on all fours. The part of her brain which had been clearly corrupted by Miroku-sama made the argument that it was a feeling she could get used to. She ran a hand absent mindedly through her hair prompting her to return to her bag and find her brush. The snarls developing would not be kind in the morning if left unattended, and she didn't fancy having bald spots.

Upon grasping the desired object, she stood once more and began to get herself un-matted. Kagome cried out softly in surprise when an arm caught her own mid-sweep.

Inuyasha was a genuine predator. He hadn't made a sound, his new position behind her only made known when she had felt the contact. She allowed the clawed hand to remove the brush from her grasp.

She gave him free access to the back of her head by turning without being told or prompted. She briefly wondered if he would know how to do this considering she had never seen him care for his own hair. However, it quickly became clear that her concerns were unfounded, and her eyes closed in contentment.

The comb sent shivers down her spine now that it was under the control of the object of her most wanton fantasies. There was something unmistakably erotic about having someone else stimulating your scalp. Her body swayed in time with the motions of the brush and she couldn't stop a gasp from coming when his free hand grazed her back with his claws while securing another section of her hair.

Inuyasha had watched the miko do this act hundreds of times. Kagome's grooming habits were overly meticulous in his opinion. The girl's obsession with being clean, playing in the water in nothing more than a bathing suit', and scrubbing down at the smallest sign of dirt. It seemed ridiculous and unreasonable that she should strive for such faultlessness. It just wasn't a practical expectation while on a quest such as they were. More than once he had been irritated by her incessant need to preen and wash as her baths tended to be long and it slowed them down. And since Sango had joined their little troupe he had an even harder time saying no'. The girls would always band together and insist. Not that the monk was much help… He'd take any opportunity to try to see a naked female. And though Miroku did on occasion succeed, his victories were short lived thanks be to the equally frequent well-placed Hiraikotsu.

As much as he hated to admit it, perhaps Miroku wasn't so far off the mark after all. Thoughts of naked Kagome assailed him and his longing to explore her body only grew. He didn't fathom that he had become _nearly_ as perverted as the bouzu, but perhaps he could understand the other man's desire a bit better now. Of course he would never admit to such thoughts. His friends would never let him live them down. Besides, it wasn't just any random female that passed by's body that he wanted to see; it was _Kagome's_.

Had she not been standing, it was quite possible that Inuyasha's brushing could have put her to sleep. She was languid and pliable and she was fairly certain she'd give up no less than the Shikon no Tama itself to stay in this lazy state. Her follicles tingled and it sent a ripple effect over her entire being. Her lips parted to take in breath. How long had she been holding it?

All too soon, Inuyasha was done with her hair, the brush clattering into the bag from which it came.

Strong arms snaked around midriff, pulling her back against a hard chest. She sighed yet again with satisfaction at the feel of him surrounding her. She hadn't really hoped for this change. Under normal circumstances, Inuyasha was not one for physical contact. And yet here he was going out of his way to create opportunities to touch her. She dismissed the possibility that this was a lasting change, attributing his shift in habit as remnants of earlier closeness.

Hot breath blew over her ear as a hand came up from her torso to run along her shoulder blade. Masculine fingers started to push aside the relatively loose and skinny silken strap that held her tank top in place. The small scrap of silky material slid down her arm, stopping where the fabric of the top started. Clawed fingers danced across her flesh before a kiss took their place.

Reflexively, Kagome stretched her neck to the side, exposing her collar to the hanyou behind her. She felt rooting tension at the initial move of the strap, but was just as quickly relieved when her top remained in its proper place. Such a soft growl that it was practically a purr rumbled in his chest, conveying his approval of the alteration in her position. His tongue teased her as he placed scorching kisses up to her jaw-line before stopping to nip at her ear.

His hand hadn't stopped its own appeasing gestures. He massaged the muscles of that shoulder and continued feathery strokes over the skin. A single claw drew across her neck and down to where the strap now rest. It was a test of sorts; he could have sworn he heard the tiniest of moans when his claws had inadvertently grazed her during his attention to her hair. Not disappointed, Kagome arched toward the claw, encouraging the contact, the same sound as before again gracing his ears. He wanted to hear her, he realized. He wanted to hear her cry out and moan and scream for him.

His hands then switched positions, the one on her torso remaining in the same basic place, but now crossing her chest to grip her shoulder. The arm which had been toying with her skin now pulled her back against him having snaked around her lower abdomen once more. "So now… How do we do pleasure on you?" he questioned without reservation and with an unmistakable amusement laced in his otherwise husky voice.

"W-What? Me?" Kagome repeated his question in her head as her body stiffened in response. He wanted to…

"Yes, you. Who the fuck else would I be talking to?" he replied, loosening his hold on her ever so slightly.

Kagome's head spun. He was really asking to do this? She didn't know how she felt about it. Sure, she had just done it to him, and turn about _was_ fair play and all, but… Well, she loved him! He could have been uglier than Jaken and she still would have found him sexy. Well, okay, maybe not _Jaken_…' she corrected herself.

Then again, _he_ didn't know that she loved him. Well, he might, but she had never said it in so many words. She thought it was painfully obvious to anyone who cared to look. But had he cared to? It wasn't the same thing. She was looking for such assurances over the past months without fail and all she found were conflicting reports and mixed signals.

He sensed her unease and panicked, thinking he asked too much. It was one thing to give him pleasure, but to be touched _by_ him was different. Kagome surely didn't want a tainted hanyou to know her body that way…

Feeling him tense under assumed rejection, the miko turned to face him in his arms so that she might make eye contact. However, once pivoted, she found she couldn't meet his gaze and ask her question. A solitary finger ran itself down the expanse of one side of his chest in contemplation as her other hand came to rest over his heart. "You'd actually want to?" Kagome asked him quietly.

A noise of confusion caught in his throat. "Eh? Why wouldn't I?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her skeptically as she actively avoided his gaze. The gentle blush on her cheeks did not go unnoted, and he wanted to Keh' at her expense for being so shy after such events.

She chewed her lip nervously, trying to find the words. "Um… It's just that… Well, you've always gone out of your way to tell me you didn't… like… me… my body and that I - or it… didn't interest you like that. And I didn't think you'd want to… do things… if you weren't attracted to me like…"

His lips crushed hers in a searing kiss, effectively cutting off anymore of that nonsense. He let his tongue indulge in wrestling hers for a minute before finally pulling back. This time, he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Keh! Baka."

"Ah, my doubts have melted…"

"Wench! For crying out loud. This whole thing started because I was out in the woods fucking myself thinking about you and that body of yours. Of _course_ I'm attracted to you!"

If she could have brought herself to meet his gaze, she would have seen his eyes narrowed in his trademark fashion. He had a way to look so annoyed and yet so comforting at the same time. But she couldn't meet said gaze. Her cheeks turned deep crimson at the stark bluntness. "Oh… You really were thinking about me? I thought they misheard…"

"Silly woman." He mocked her notion. Honestly, she could be so stubborn. "Misheard…" he mumbled to himself in contempt.

The fire crackled behind them, drawing his attention away from her momentarily. It needed more wood. Unceremoniously, he broke contact with her and went to rectify the issue. Grabbing another log from a pile by the pit, he threw it on, earning a frenzy of sparks that scattered about the surrounding air. Satisfied that it would be fine for the time being, he returned to Kagome who had rotated to watch his movements.

He noted with satisfaction that she hadn't replaced the strap he had moved from her shoulder back into place. The small change in her appearance shouldn't have meant much, but somehow it did. That she had _chosen_ to stay the way he left her… How was it that everything this woman did managed to play his heartstrings? Inwardly, he berated himself for admitting that he _had_ heartstrings. Even if it was only an inner monologue…

Both hands rose to her face pulling her gently upwards to facilitate his purpose. He brushed his lips softly over hers, mimicking their first kiss which had happened such a short time and yet so long ago. Her fingers came to rest against his chest, her head tilting from side to side as her eyes flitted closed. Inuyasha's were drawn into tiny slits, unable to keep them open but not wanting to miss the look of rapture on her features.

The kisses remained light but the heat between them grew heavy. After a few moments of teasing her lips, the hanyou led her by the hands back to the futon they had previously occupied. The bedding was still warm from their previous activities allowing a cocky grin to present itself on his face. His body settled into a sitting position with his legs in front of him and knees slightly bent. He directed her legs to stand on either side and once done he pulled her into his lap.

It was unclear to Kagome whether or not he understood the full significance of her thighs straddling his hips, but she didn't have much of an opportunity to ponder it. Once again, arms surrounded her and hands splayed over her back. This time there was no over-shirt to keep her arms from his fiery touch and his fingers took full advantage of the extra exposed skin. Lips descended on hers and she thrust her tongue into his mouth hungrily. She couldn't imagine him minding a more aggressive exploitation and his favorable growl proved her to be correct.

Boldly, his hands moved to her sides, starting to curve around to the front of her. At first she expected him to go directly to fondling her breasts and her nipples extended at the plain thought. But he avoided them in favor of dropping to massage one of her thighs, while the other stayed by her neck. Long passionate kisses tapered off to sweet meetings of their lips. Inuyasha pulled her close as his mouth began to work down the side of her neck.

Her palms cradled the back of his head to her body, seeking out his ears which she had carefully avoided until now. She didn't want to upset the balance by touching them, but as her impending exposure grew near, nervousness took hold and she desperately needed to make him reachable. If he would let her fondle the triangular appendages without complaint, perhaps she too could get past unreasonable body qualms.

Delicate digits circled and flitted around the sensitive appendages. She wasn't sure what type of a reaction she was expecting, but the one she received did not disappoint. He moaned against the side of her neck repaying her gentle touch with a nibble on her own ear. Her hands moved down to massage his scalp and she whimpered for him to let him know that the attention he was giving her ear was a very welcome thing.

Too soon for her but at long last for him, the back of his hand brushed against her belly. He had maneuvered beneath the bottom of her shirt, and she felt herself tense at the unexpected direct contact. His other hand joined the first and together they pulled the bottom of the shirt up and eventually over her head.

His eyes remained locked on the fabric until it was removed from her body. He looked down at the now topless miko, only to see her hair still blocking his view. He made to move the impeding locks, but Kagome leaned forward before he had the chance and rest herself against him.

It wasn't that he didn't thoroughly enjoy the feeling of her newly bared flesh pressed against his. Nor did he mind the way her arms came to move over his back and through his hair. And her head tucked against his shoulder in the crook of his neck gave him access to the sublime aroma of whatever that stuff was that she used when washing her hair clean.

But damn it, he wanted to _look_ at her!

He was at an impasse when it clicked inside his mind exactly what was occurring. It wasn't often that he found himself able to read between the lines, as it were, but in this case the revelation was _more_ than appreciated. He snickered in spite of himself. "Oi. You're _hiding_ aren't you?" he accused, far too entertained by this for his own good.

The girl against him coughed and blanched as her arms stiffened. He knew that he had caught the devious little wench in his embrace. She had thrust herself against him for no other reason than to keep him from seeing her chest. After a moment she replied. "… Maybe…" a tiny voice confirmed begrudgingly.

As much as he wanted to examine her body, he couldn't help but drag this out. She was so _shy_ for someone who knew so much about these exploits. "What's wrong? Are they deformed?" amusement running thick in the question.

Kagome bristled. "What!? _Deformed_? No they're not _deformed_!" she proclaimed incredulous.

"Do you think that I'll ruin them by playing too much?" he snickered.

She faltered. "Well I do _now_!" she replied sarcastically. He chuckled aloud.

"Are they just ugly, then?"

A scowl came to her. "How should I know? I can't judge whether or not they're attractive!"

"Then let me see. I'll tell you…" he offered happily, stroking her back and relishing the feel of her skin against his. He may not be getting exactly what he wanted when he wanted it, but this was an alternative he'd choose any day.

"Okay." She replied matter-of-factly.

He waited for her to pull back. After a long moment he spoke again. "Are you planning to move so that I can?" questioned drolly.

"Of course, Inuyasha." Came her answer as though she was stating the obvious.

Another pause. She still wasn't going anywhere.

Stubborn girl.

His first instinct was to simply rip her out of his lap and slam her pliant body into the pillows so that he could explore until his greedy eyes were satisfied. However, something told him that his new Plan A would not go over terribly well. He would probably end up pissing her off, and he _really_ didn't want to be sat at the moment. In addition, she might not let him examine her upper body at all if he wasn't mindful of her feelings'. He exhaled dejectedly, presuming that his banter most likely wasn't helping the situation. For whatever reason, she was nervous and he would have to make her feel at ease before he'd get his way.

Claws and fingertips made circles on the miko's back. Her skin was so soft and smooth. Overhearing discussions between Sango and Kagome, he knew that the soaps she brought from her era were at least partly responsible. Her recalled his earlier discovery and combed his claws through her hair in an attempt to put her back in that lazy, flexible state.

Arms tightened around her body once more and he petted her head, nuzzling the side of her face with his cheek. He growled almost inaudibly for her, initiating a steady vibration in his chest that he hoped would help soothe her tension. Moving his hand from her back to grasp one of hers, he restarted pleasuring the pads of her fingers with his lips and tongue. Perhaps if he couldn't get her to _completely_ relax, he could excite her enough to desire stimulation above protecting her secrets.

His plan must have worked because no sooner had he attended to a third finger that she moved her hand away from the enticing lips to bring his face to hers.

The couple began to kiss, both of them fully aware that Kagome had moved away from him enough so that if they broke apart, he could see her if he wished. And wish he did. Not wanting to come across too gruff for fear of further hesitation, he continued the kisses for a short while before finally drawing back and using his arms to support the weight of her torso so that she could comfortably lean back for him.

He knew he was staring but he couldn't find it in himself to care or stop. Hair and proximity no longer obstructed his view and he was finally free to scrutinize her upper body. Perhaps months of insults had done her a truer disservice than he realized for her to feel the need to hide the way she had been. In reality, he didn't think it was possible to look much better than she did. A lower part of his anatomy obviously agreed and he felt a reflexive twitch at the visual stimulation. The curved flesh was virtually flawless and boasted a color modestly lighter than the rest of her perfectly toned skin. They appeared to be a size that would just about fit in his hand and he found his palms aching to test their weight.

His mouth ran dry and he swallowed uncomfortably, the bulge in his pants beginning to strain against the material. Nipples sat somewhat inclined in the center of the smooth orbs that shivered under his intense inspection. They were a medium shade of brown in the center and became lighter as they joined with the rest of her skin. He had always expected them to be pink like his own and wondered to himself whether or not all females were this color, and males like his. He spied the buds as they became taut, prompting his mouth to respond by no longer being dry but practically salivating at the concept of sampling their flavor.

He came out of his stupor due to unexpected motion. Inuyasha growled as the girl moved to cover herself. His own hands freed themselves from supporting her since she was now sitting up on her own and pushed the arms away before she could re-conceal her chest. He looked up to her face to see an extreme blush and he once again wondered why in hell she was so timid. He meant to be soothing but in classic manner, he found his voice harsher than intended. "Oi! Quit with the hiding, wench." He commanded as her arms were once again at her sides.

The blush intensified - an achievement that a moment ago he would have thought unfeasible. She shut her eyes as her nose crinkled in agitation. "Well it's weird having them just _looked_ at! I have no idea what you're thinking!"

"What is it with you and always needing to know what I'm thinking? Besides, I've never been allowed to see any before, and if you think I'm going to rush... Well, I don't know what. I just ain't gonna rush!"

Kagome didn't quite know how to respond.

"After all the work I did getting you to this point I intend to enjoy it. Now just shut up and let me work at my own pace."

Now _that_ Kagome _did_ know how to respond to. Had she been a hanyou like the boy in front of her she would no doubt have released a menacing growl or three.

She had been watching him contemplate her body for minutes on end and she was nervous beyond all hell that he didn't like what he saw. His unreadable expression did nothing to sooth her misgivings and the fact that he sat there in uncharacteristic stoicism only added to her discomfort. She couldn't help the fact that she was self conscious. She just wasn't accustomed to letting men study her breasts on demand. And the fact that it was _Inuyasha_ who was judging her made the butterflies in her stomach flutter all the more. Not that she really wanted anyone else to be doing it, either. But if he disapproved, she was quite certain that she'd never get over it - at least not until she was able to afford a plastic surgeon.

Although she was angry at his comment, and horribly embarrassed, she did also find herself a bit amused. The thought that he considered being able to see her topless as a prize or privilege was something she hadn't been expecting. The way he spoke of being allowed' made her feel like she was granting him something he'd wanted for a long time; like a child finally getting that piece of candy they have been drooling over.

Before she found the words to tell him that she wasn't going to just shut up and let him have his way with her, he effectively cut her off. "I thought they would be pink. But this is a better color. Are all women like you?" he questioned quietly. She was caught off guard by the softness of his inquiry. It was a rare moment indeed that Inuyasha exuded innocence. He was, after all, this era's equivalent to a bad boy. Had he been born in her time, he'd probably have five tattoos, a dozen piercings, and a motorcycle. She would never have guessed that the fierce warrior that battled countless youkai would bother to mull over something so particular.

She shook her head, "No. Everyone's different." She answered equally soft. Surprised or not, she was happy that he approved of her, at least in part. His eyes reflected interest and appreciation, even if his eyebrows were narrowed.

One of his fangs protruded over his bottom lip. He was lost in considering the rise and fall of her chest in time with her breathing, and the way it made her breasts quiver almost imperceptibly. As such he didn't expect to feel her hand touch one of his, and was even more shocked when she moved his palm to cup one of the curves he had been studying. She held him there, forcing his fingers to contract and causing them both to in and exhale respectively. Her dilated, pleasure-filled eyes met his and one of her hands moved to his face. "You are allowed to do more than look, Inuyasha."

He already knew this, but the way she said it sounded infinitely sexy. She was giving him permission - hell, she was asking and encouraging him. She had physically moved his hand to the current position, and he couldn't help but squeeze again. Both her body and expression responded to the simple gesture. Her breath caught, her muscles tensed, and her chest arced to further encourage him. Her half-open gaze shut completely and lips parted to accommodate her gasp. It was thrilling to know he was solely responsible for the look of bliss that she wore and he wanted to do it again.

As though afraid she would shatter, Inuyasha laid Kagome back against the pile of pillows he had rested upon earlier. He took a second to drink in the sight of her unclothed body and expressive eyes, open and trusting. He stretched out beside her, supported on his elbow, laying on his side so that he might continue his explorations. His free hand reached out for her and he noticed with pride that this time she did not tremble. Masculine fingers came to rest in the center of her chest. Even this had a ripple effect through Kagome and she closed her eyes as a contented sigh escaped her lungs. He journeyed to the previously untouched breast and familiarized himself with it, taking the opportunity to mold and knead the soft tissue.

The nipple on the mound rose to meet his curious touch. It quickly hardened into a stiff pebble and he smiled at the sounds she was emitting for him. He moved to cup the breast from the side so that he could pinch the desperate little bud between his finger tips and was rewarded by her entire form arching to meet him.

Strangled gasps for air assailed his ears. She was so responsive! He felt massively powerful and entirely dominant that he could bring this girl to such heights. For the first time he realized that this is must have been how she had felt while working her magic over his body.

Recalling the events of his second release, he leaned over her body and used the same hand to bring the breast he had been teasing to his lips. Kagome's eyes had opened with the movement of the hanyou beside her and he locked his gaze with hers as his mouth descended on the aching nipple.

Their eye contact did not last long. The minute his lips tugged at the sensitive flesh her head was thrown back. "Inuyasha…"

The sound of her calling his name in ecstasy did nothing to quell his growing ego, nor his growing stiffness. He had always wanted to make the girl call to him; to have her beg him to pleasure her. This was better than he imagined and more than he ever truly expected to get. His fantasies were being realized and he pondered for a moment whether or not she was fully aware of this fact.

His now free hand came up to the un-suckled peak and he ran a flat palm over the expanse. By the end of this night, he wanted her body good and memorized so that he might recall it later in private when physical contact would be unachievable for one reason or another. Her arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders and a delicate hand came to cradle the back of his head. Her fingers entwined in his hair and stroked his ears, warranting her a growl for her trouble.

The growl created a vibrating sensation against the nipple which was sweetly encased by Inuyasha's mouth. Her eyes snapped open and she managed to study the sight of the half youkai latched onto her breast. She couldn't remember a stronger wave of passion ever sweeping through her being - the sight before her the most erotic she had ever seen with the possible exception of her hanyou sprawled out in ecstasy beneath her. Feeling her watching him, his eyes re-met hers and he grinned wryly against her, pulling back somewhat before flicking his tongue out of his mouth to tease her breast.

The devil. He was giving her as best an eyeful as he could and she knew it. She tweaked one of his ears in punishment and gratitude before he switched to the orally ignored twin. He set to work, but not before taking note that his suckling had caused the first nipple to change ever so slightly in color. Now added to the enticing brown, there were traces of deep pink.

Having been enclosed in his hot mouth, the bared pebble turned ever more inflexible now that it was re-exposed to the chill of the room. His index and thumb came over the soft swell and descended on the tightness, pinching and pulling, his ears delighting as Kagome's moans increased.

Now that he was practically on top of her, he began to take notice of the way her legs involuntarily opened every so often, in rhythm with his treatment. Perhaps it was time to explore the lower half of the miko beneath him.

He kissed his way to the middle of her chest before coming up to take her lips in his. The girl responded desperately, her hands still tangled in his silver mane. He concluded that he could certainly get used to this kind of contact and further resolved that they should partake in such activities far more often.

His mouth moved around her face and down to suckle her neck. Knowing that the girl in his arms responded to spoken declarations, he picked a thought and voiced it. "You're so soft, Kagome." He whispered against her ear, proud to feel a corresponding shiver run through her. They met again for kisses, taking the time to let their tongues wrestle one another. He was pleased when her hands moved down to his lower back before returning. Even when she was receiving pleasure, she seemed to want to give back to him.

"You know," he started between meetings of their lips, "You don't. Have any. Thing. To be. Shy. Over." She giggled into the kiss.

"It's. Not. That simple." The miko replied. Inuyasha settled his weight upon her a bit more as he came down for a longer more affection-filled kiss.

"Oh yeah? Then how is it?" he asked, slightly cocky due to his advantageous position over her. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear mindlessly as he waited for her to answer.

"Well, in my time it's far more common to see people wearing next-to-nothing, if not nothing at all. So even if you're a virgin, you have all these images of what you _and_ your partner should look like. And some of those images are hard to live up to." She explained carefully. She didn't really feel the need to educate Inuyasha on the fashion industry and its Barbie-girl' perception of women, but how could a girl not be self-conscious in her era?

"Well, I'm not from your time. And I don't see anything wrong with what you have. I told you I'd tell you if you were ugly. And you're not. So quit with the shy stuff and knock off the whole comparing yourself' thing while you're at it." After a moment of incredulous thought, he posed a question, "What would these people have you change, anyway?"

Kagome blushed at the compliments, but also at the idea of telling him that she believed her breasts were too small. She didn't get the chance to respond however because Inuyasha claimed her mouth once more. "Forget it. I don't want to know what they'd change. Fucking people making you feel ugly…"

She laughed outright. "Oh sure! When they do it, it's wrong, but so long as it's you calling me ugly, it's perfectly justified."

The boy over her growled. "Oi! I can't go around telling people that they're attractive. I'm a hanyou. I'd be chased out of town!" His voice softened in thought. "Besides, you never took me seriously did you?"

The fact that he almost sounded concerned made her heart flip. She was angsty and swooning all at once and she couldn't decide whether to scream at him for lying, or kiss him senseless for being sweet (for once). In the end, she chose middle ground. "How should I know what goes on in that head of yours? For all I know, you could have the hots for Kaede."

"_Kaede_!? Now _there's_ a cock stopper!" Inuyasha declared.

"How is it that you claim to know nothing about sex and yet you know all the crude terms in the world?" she huffed at the vulgarity that issued endlessly from his vocal chords.

He shrugged. "I guess because people have no problem using foul language around a hanyou, but they don't often invite me in to watch them have sex."

A small feeling of sadness came over her. How horrible his life must have been - to have been called so many awful things for merely existing. Well, as long as he was with her, she was determined that she'd look out for him from now on. He may not have said it in the past, but the words of ignorant villagers apparently did hurt him, despite all his claims to the contrary. Perhaps she had truly believed that he remained unscathed, but she couldn't deny that the larger part of her had always known better. She had been willing to accept his lies of well-being because the alternative was too hard and too ugly for her dwell on for long without tears. She cursed herself for being weak in this regard and resolutely decided to make it up to him. She smiled and ran a finger over his lips. "Hmm. Point taken." She mused before bringing his face down to hers. She might not have the power to erase all of the pain in his life, but she would certainly try.

This time their kisses were tender, Inuyasha attempting to use his mouth (in a way other than words) to tell her that he was sorry for making her feel unattractive. Whether or not the message was exactly conveyed he wasn't sure, but the feel of her now moistened and substantially tightened breasts pressed against his heated chest was enough to make him forget his good intentions.

She whined in protest when his body moved off of her, exposing her to the cold. A grin graced his features as her nipples became rigid at the sudden temperature shift. Inuyasha had rolled back to her side and now slid a hand down to caress her inner thigh through her pants. Her knee was bent and she now resembled the position he had been in for her exploration.

Although she was once again nervous about taking the next step, she decided she'd rather get the initial exposure over with. Before he could even react, Kagome raised her hips upwards and hooked her fingers in the top of her pants and underwear, tugging them completely off her body in a matter of seconds.

She discarded the material to the side of her that Inuyasha did not currently occupy and she spread her legs and re-raised the knee of the limb he had been feeling.

He was certainly shocked by the action, but by no means ungrateful. Kagome now lay completely naked and open to his perusal. A dark tuft of hair still left her center a mystery to him from his position, but the fact that she wasn't hiding this time encouraged him.

Despite his overwhelming compulsion to inspect her, he made the choice to stay where he was, laid out beside her. There was just something to be said for having the length of her body lying close to his and knowing that he could place his hands wherever he damn well pleased without consequence. He scooted closer to her body before returning his hand to her thigh. He stroked her knee and back down her thigh again, wondering how her entire form felt so velvety to the touch. It was little wonder to him now why Miroku's hands were constantly wandering to sample the flesh of females. If they were anything like Kagome, it was like caressing silk. Only silk didn't moan and gasp your name when you handled it.

Inuyasha moved the arm supporting his weight under Kagome's neck to cradle her, bringing her ever closer. He locked his legs around the one he had been stroking, pulling her a bit wider for him in an attempt to gain better access. Finally, his fingers danced over the flesh of her inner thigh and moved to the apex between her legs. When he cupped it, he caused a body-wide spasm to course through her. He glanced at her face and drank in the sight of complete ecstasy that she plainly wore on her features. He began to rub over the surface and soon found that he could part the flesh on top to reveal a moist center. The leg not encased between his fell to the side and moved to further open her core and encourage his exploration. He ran his fingers the length of the newly exposed channel, and was pleasantly surprised when his name once again came from her mouth. However it was no longer a clear version of his name - it was broken and passion-overwhelmed.

Her hand came to grip the arm behind her head as she keened and her hips bucked up toward his hand. He pressed against her with more force and found a place that he could sink into. Thinking her could hurt her if he pushed too far he stopped his movement and returned to simply running along the delicate flesh.

When he brushed against a small nub between the folds, she went wild, abandoning any hope of dignity, willing to do anything to make him continue. Her leg broke free from his and she swung it over his entirely, spreading herself open further to his gentle prodding. He was surprised by the abrupt movement but as soon as the shock tapered off he grinned all the more. The woman was _desperate_ for his touch!

His finger tips took their sweet time exploring her, thoroughly enjoying the new sensations presented to him. She was impossibly soft down there despite the fact that the hair was a courser version of what lay on her head. The flesh was thin and delicate and he pondered his claws for a moment. He could easily hurt her if he wasn't careful. He looked to her face once more before realizing with no small amount of awe that she didn't seem to be thinking the same thing. She was lost in the feel of his touch and the revelation of just how deep her trust in him ran hit him full force. He had taken her prior nervousness to be about him; he didn't comprehend that her fear was of _herself_ and whether or not her body was good enough to please him. But the fact that she had opened such a fragile part of her body to such a dangerous part of his spoke more forcefully to him than any words ever could.

She was saturated in both moisture at her core and the scent of arousal. The liquid didn't feel the same as the substance he expelled when he reached his own climax. He decided to perhaps ask her about it later. At the moment, she was in no condition to explain much of anything besides how to make really arousing sounds'. He smirked at his power and at her surrender to his ministrations.

Now he felt the need to bring her to the edge of sanity, but was unsure how to do so. He had been putting pressure on the small hood of flesh that seemed to send her reeling, but he must have been missing the exact spot because she wasn't responding as powerfully as before.

"Show me how, Kagome." He beseeched her in a whisper against her ear. Without responding, the hand that had become embedded in the sheets beside her came down across her body and directed him back to the place he had pulled away from. She pushed on his fingers to indicate that he should press down, and he did, still a bit concerned that if he pressed too hard he would somehow hurt her. But as her hand moved to his wrist and held him steady he found that the further he pressed, the less in pain' she seemed. He had been watching her face so intently that he didn't realize until he looked down that two of his fingers were now _inside_ of her.

Experimentally, he drew his hand back and thrust forward again. Her hips responded to this by rising to meet him and he assumed that she was enjoying the feeling. Suddenly, it clicked that _this_ was where he would be if they were to mate. His resurfaced erection throbbed a reply at the imagined sensation of being encased in such a hot, tight, wet place. He always assumed it would be at about the same place on her body as his own, but earlier activities had cast doubt upon his knowledge. But he never really imagined what that place would be like - he hadn't known where to begin his imagination.

With these epiphanies, he found he was no longer able to deny his need to study her with his eyes. He carefully extracted his arm from behind her, but kept his fingers buried deep within the place she had shown him. Upon arriving between her thighs, he pressed a searing kiss to the inside of her knee before lowering himself further to truly look at where his hand lie.

The skin was a darkened pink and he felt himself become hopelessly rigid at witnessing his fingers being concealed inside her. He took in the scent of her arousal, ever stronger the closer he was to the source, and found his mind simply intoxicated. His fingers moved in and out of the opening to her center. It was then that she spoke to him again. "I-Inu… Please…" she begged him.

"Please what, Kagome?" he questioned, stilling his movements.

The cease brought a groan and a pathetic whimper of loss to come from her throat, but it did allow her to form words. "Press up… Inside."

Fingers still buried inside, he pressed the pads of the digits upwards, and she nodded to him to let him know he was right. "And for the love of Kami, don't stop." She demanded all at once. It was the most hurried sentence he had ever heard her utter. It came out in a single breath, like she had to summon all her strength just to form the words. He grinned; she probably _had_.

"I wasn't planning to stop anytime soon, Kagome." He replied in a deep, throaty voice. She hummed intensely in reply, letting him know that she heard and also approved of such a pledge. He moved in and out now, as well as up and down when inside the tight walls. She cried out his name a third time and it drew his attention up her body.

His eyes nearly popped from their sockets. Kagome was displayed completely exposed and released to him, losing herself to ecstasy and calling to none other than him. Legs spread and skin flushed with erect nipples and her head tossing from side to side. Her expression was raw and her knuckles had turned almost white from gripping the pillows next to her face. He felt himself release a bit of fluid at the mere sight and took a silent vow that he would never let anyone else see this. He wouldn't let anyone have this part of her. In that moment, he grew even more fiercely possessive of this miko and would gladly kill any and all that stood in the way of his new pledge.

Mine!' a primal facet of him growled as he moved his thumb up to the nub of flesh that had caused her to thrust against his hand before. He found it and she grabbed the pillows by her face. He couldn't help but feel a sense of abundant pride that _he_ was the one to make her react this way.

His motions continued, and the words she attempted to speak were lost to the cries of pleasure that refused to stay within her. Her entire form thrust and arced in time with his hand. Finally, she screamed his name, or something that was supposed to be his name and her toes curled as the rest of her locked in tension. He could feel her inner walls constrict around the two fingers he had inside of her and noticed that she also released fluid when she came. It coated his hand even more than it had already been, and he felt compelled to sample the flavor.

Withdrawing, he brought one finger to his lips and tasted. The flavor was tart and salty, but sweet and musky all at once. Could something _taste_ musky? Well, obviously it could because this did. It wasn't a bad flavor necessarily, but it wasn't exactly delicious. He decided he could get used to it seeing as how it was an erotic flavor if nothing else. He took a moment to consider the flesh usually hidden from him. With his hand out of the way, his view was completely without obstruction. He found himself surprised that she hadn't immediately gone back to hiding herself after his withdrawal, but then he reasoned she was too far gone from reason to be embarrassed. Still the fact that she trusted him enough to let herself be that lost in a haze in his presence managed to warm his heart. As the flavor on his tongue subsided, his mind drifted to what she had done for him and briefly worried about the fact that he hadn't done the same. He glanced up to his charge and found the answers he was looking for; even if he hadn't done something he could have, she obviously enjoyed what he _had_ done…

Kagome had beads of perspiration on her skin that reflected the firelight as he crawled back to her. He wiped his hand on the sheets before pushing her now wet bangs off of her forehead just as she had done for him. His lips placed a kiss there before he lay beside her once more, moving so that he was half atop her, a leg thrust between hers and an arm around her waist. His face rested on the pillows next to her and he waited for her to find breath. If nothing else, he had done his job of pleasuring her successfully, even if it hadn't been completely without mistakes.

The hand over her waist began to journey across her skin in a calming manner. It stroked between and over her breasts, down to her legs and across the junction between. It ran up her sides and finally to her neck before pressing his palm to the side of her face and simply rubbing her cheek back and forth.

Finally she opened her eyes and turned her gaze to his. She smiled lazily which in turn made him grin. She panted a few more times. "Wow." She stated breathily. This caused his smirk to grow. She didn't care. "That was new."

His head tilted in confusion and his brow raised. "New?" he parroted back.

She sighed and nodded. "Yea. New. I've never had an orgasm before."

This seemed to shock him. "Never!?" he demanded, incredulous. "How do you deal with… frustration?"

Kagome shrugged, about to tell him that she simply lived with it, but then got a wicked idea. "Cold baths."

The hanyou gaped. _That_ was why she washed so damned often? No wonder she didn't want him peeking!

At his startled expression she laughed. "I'm kidding, Inuyasha. For the most part anyway… Sometimes a cold bath helps, but usually I just live with it."

He scowled at her teasing. "But doesn't it… hurt?"

Kagome looked to contemplate him a few seconds before understanding hit her. "Oh. It doesn't feel the same for girls. It aches, sure, but it's not extremely painful if we don't release. At least not most of the time."

He grunted in understanding. He glanced down her body and nodded the direction of his eyes. "So, that's where I'd have been if we'd mated." He stated more than asked. Kagome nodded an assent regardless of his apparent surety. "So, are you always that wet?"

She was beginning to feel like a sex ed instructor, but she was in such a haze that she couldn't find it in herself to mind. Besides, it was Inuyasha. And he had never been taught. It was only natural that he'd have questions…

"No. Girls only get wet when they're excited. Most of the time it's just a little bit moist because it hurts if the skin down there gets completely dry."

He didn't bother to hide his grin. "Guess I really excited you then." He mused conceitedly.

Kagome glanced over at the hanyou with a glare. There would be no living with his ego from now on. Deciding to counter rather than respond, she reached her hand out to grip him through his hakama. "I'm not the only one." She reminded him dryly.

His eyes flew closed and he groaned and growled. "Wench. No fair."

"Hmm. It seems like someone enjoyed himself a bit too much." She teased as she continued to taunt him with her fingers. He had become rock-hard again and now they both knew it.

His breathing was erratic, but he still managed to hold onto cognizance. He growled. "I blame you. Screaming my name like that…"

Kagome laughed. "I never said it was a problem, _Inuyasha_." She whispered, carefully punctuating his name allowing her voice to lower an octave as well.

His hips thrust against her teasing hand. "Okay, you asked for it." He groaned back.

He practically tore his hakama off and moved lightning quick to settle between her legs. Kagome found herself panicking beneath him even as his lips descended on hers.

Some foreplay was one thing, but was she really ready for sex? Inuyasha didn't love her, or even if he did he was _more_ in love with someone else. This had been to prove to him that she didn't find him disgusting. But if she rejected him now, all of that would be shot to Hell and back. She wanted and loved him more than anything and would give herself to him in a second if she was sure he returned at least part of her affection for him. But she didn't know how he felt. Was this just lust or something real? It was real for her, but she couldn't be sure for him.

She tried not to let him see her hesitation. She had to think fast, so she kept him kissing her as long as she could. He would have to move slightly to position himself correctly, so as long as she kept him from moving, her virginity was safe. Not that she really considered herself a true virgin anymore…

Her eyes opened and she watched the boy over her. His eyes were closed in bliss with a surreal look of peace that she had never seen on his features before. She knew in that moment that she had succeeded in her efforts to quash the furies for at least this night for him. If she pushed him away, it might break him and she'd sooner die than risk that.

She could live with the loss of her innocence, but she would never forgive herself for hurting him so deeply. The repercussions of her choice may one day haunt her… But in this time and in this place he was her world. He was all that mattered. And in years to come she'd know that she had spent one perfect night with the man she loved more than life itself. She would be complete for this short time and take comfort knowing that she helped heal his wounds with her body and soul. That she was able to finally help and give true, lasting comfort to her protector - her best friend.

A solitary tear rolled down her cheek as she allowed him to move. One of his hands came to fondle her breasts between them, and she moaned for the one she loved. "Inuyasha…"

A few more kisses and she felt him get into place. The feel of his length between her folds but not at her opening was bliss enough as it was and she cried out for him again, knowing now that he loved to hear her scream his name. "Inuyasha…"

"Osuwari."

--

The hanyou came crashing down to earth from the tree he had been residing in. With dismay, he realized that the front of his pants were horribly tight. He'd have to find a place to relieve this problem.

Sango and Miroku had stopped gathering up the supplies and looked over when Inuyasha had made his landing. Kagome stood before him with her hands placed strategically on her hips for ultimate conveyance of ire.

"You were napping again, weren't you?" she hotly accused.

He growled. "Well, can you blame me?" he hollered back. Then in a lower voice, "It's not like either of us really slept last night.", he added strictly for her benefit.

Kagome's cheeks flushed bright red.

"Really? Pray tell, what were you two doing that kept you so occupied?" the monk shouted loudly. Inuyasha bristled. He thought he had spoken softly enough to keep his comments out of the pervert's hearing range.

The question only caused Kagome's already crimson blush to grow even hotter. Luckily, she was facing away from camp so only Inuyasha had a view of her rampant embarrassment. "Well, we weren't having sex, if that's what you mean!" she bit by way of retort. Sly, Kagome, very sly…'

Well, it wasn't a lie, exactly. Inuyasha and she had been ready to complete their act when a well-fated scream had pierced the night air. The man above her had sputtered and cursed, but located his hakama and Tessaiga just the same. The youkai hadn't been difficult, but it was enough to spoil the mood. Upon his return to the room, Inuyasha found Kagome asleep on the futon, redressed in her shirt and underwear. Inuyasha, deciding he had efficiently worn her out, allowed her to sleep. He joined her in rest after ogling her nearly-nude form for while wondering exactly how long it would be before he would see it again.

The group was startled by Kagome's flagrantly lewd reply. Besides, it wasn't everyday you heard someone dressed in Shinto Priestess garb yell the word sex'. Luckily Shippou chose that moment to return and begin asking loads of questions about their mission. Crisis averted for the time being, the couple heaved a unified sigh.

Kagome's heart thudded in her chest. Whether or not they completed the act was irrelevant at the moment. She had given herself wholly to him last night, no holds barred. He held all that she was now. He knew her inside and out. He could make or break her, and the thought was both thrilling and frightening. It was like a rollercoaster and she had just reached the top. Whether or not she would plunge into oblivion or soar to even greater heights was completely up to Inuyasha. She would be heart broken if he left her now. But then again, wouldn't she have been lost without him even before this? Last night had really changed nothing, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel a stronger bond with him. She could only pray that he felt the same. Only time would tell if her love went unrequited.

Dark thoughts of possible futures assailed her mind. She resolutely pushed them back, of course, the way she always did. Last night… It wasn't about her. It was about healing the man that she loved. And no matter what happened or how her heart would shatter after this, she would never regret the plain and simple fact that she had done all she could.

It was strange, she realized. She was getting used to being comforted and terrified all at once. She glanced over at the half-youkai that was the cause of this new feeling.

Things wouldn't be boring, if nothing else…

--

The End

--

_Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation - the other eight are unimportant.  
--Henry Miller_

I thought this was a particularly applicable quote considering Kagome's status as a reincarnate.

Want a sequel? Drop me a line. . Or just review.


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